The alleged killer of South African expat Luke Smith (21) has appeared in the Wellington District Court in New Zealand on a charge of manslaughter on Monday morning, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Siale Siale (29) has been named in court as Smith’s killer after they both had an altercation at the bus stop outside the Reading Cinema at around 3:15am on 6 October, which resulted in Smith being injured and transported to hospital while being in critical condition, according to a press statement issued by New Zealand Police.
Also read: SA expat Luke Smith dies after assault in New Zealand
Siale was arrested on 7 October by police and was charged with ‘wounding with reckless disregard’. Smith’s life support was withdrawn overnight and died in hospital, surrounded by his family, on 8 October.
The original investigation into the assault on Smith soon turned into a ‘homicide enquiry‘.
A post-mortem was scheduled for 9 October, after which Luke’s family were planning to return him to South Africa for his funeral, according to Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch, Wellington Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB).
Smith will be laid to rest in King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, 26 October. A fundraiser was launched to help cover the costs of repatriating his body to South Africa and has raised NZ$22,000 (R234,989.70).
As reported by IOL, Smith and his parents had emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand in February and settled in Upper Hutt – one of four cities that forms part of the Welllington district that is known for its outdoor lifestyle and extensive parks and reserves.
Siale, who appeared in the Wellington District Court on 7 October, was granted bail with travel restrictions. He reappeared in court today, with the possibility of additional charges.
The case has been adjourned, and Siale is scheduled to appear in the High Court in Wellington in November, as reported by The New Zealand Herald.
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Picture: Givealittle.co.nz / Justice for Luke
