A Nuku'alofa restaurateur, Paul Johansson, is recovering after a mugging outside his Sopu home on August 2 that put him in hospital for five days with severe facial injuries and bruising and left him feeling that he is lucky to be still alive.

Paul, the owner and manager of the well known Friends Café and Tours, in central Nuku'alofa was attacked by three men who were apparently waiting for him to return home with the takings from his business before beating him up and stealing $3,000 from his car.

"I never thought twice about my safety here so when something like this happens it just changes everything," said Paul.

Paul arrived home at about 10:30pm and after driving his car into his driveway went back lock his gate when he saw three men standing under a fau tree outside his home.

Paul who said hello, while his dogs were barking furiously at them, was shocked when all of a sudden one of the men stepped out and threw a large rock at the dogs. Realizing the force with which the rock was thrown Paul sensed they were danger so he started to move away down the road towards the only place nearby where he knew there would be people.

"But they all came out and started knocking and pounding me on my head. All I could feel was thumps and the blood that was gushing out of his nose so I knew I had to get out of there," Paul said.

...It was a very frightening experience and just thinking about it now I could have lost my life because those guys were not just out there to rob me but were determined to do some major damage....

Paul said that while he was under attack he was still standing and was moving along the road trying to get away from them with his face and shirt covered in blood.

"Once they knew I was injured they let me go and went for my car, all I could hear was the windows smashing and they stole my cell phone and my bag containing $3,000."

Paul found help at the Black Pearl Suites, at Sopu, and he was rushed to Vaiola Hospital where he was admitted suffering severe fractures to his nose and cheekbone.

"This is one thing that I would never think would happen to me in Tonga.... Looking back one of the scariest things is the fact that these guys have committed this particular crime before, as I have been told by the police."

Paul said that he was informed by the police that two men had since been arrested and had confessed to the crime.