Man accused of coward-punch killing had fought professionally

A man charged with manslaughter after allegedly coward-punching a Porirua grandfather – who died in hospital weeks later – has competed as a professional fighter, the Herald can reveal. 

The defendant was initially charged under a new coward-punch law which had only come into force weeks before, but police on Tuesday night said the charge had been upgraded after the death of the victim, who had been in a coma since the incident. 

It is understood the victim was critically injured when he was allegedly punched during a group scuffle and fell, hitting his head on the concrete, in the early hours of Sunday, August 30. 

A father and grandfather to multiple children and described as a beloved husband, uncle, and sibling, he was farewelled by more than 600 people at a ceremony this week. 

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Reeves of Wellington District Investigations said a 45-year-old man came to the Wellington Central Police Station about 5pm the day of the alleged assault, where he was arrested. 

He was originally charged with striking with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. 

The incident happened on Waterloo Rd, Lower Hutt in the early hours of a Sunday last month. Image / Google Maps 

The charge came into law this month and was brought in to target so-called “coward-punch” assaults. 

According to the legislation, the striking offence specifically covers instances where a defendant “intentionally or recklessly strikes another person’s head or neck in circumstances where the other person has limited or no opportunity to defend themselves”. 

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison if the victim suffers grievous bodily harm. 

The Herald can confirm the defendant, who has interim name suppression, has previously fought in professional matches. 

Described before one match as a “seasoned fighter”, the man has experience in multiple styles of combat sports. 

It is not the first time someone accused of a fatal coward punch has had fighting experience. 

Early last year, Wellington man Siale Siale was imprisoned for killing a young South African man in the capital. 

Luke Smith, 21, was enjoying a night out with friends when he encountered Siale outside the Reading Cinema complex on Courtenay Place in October 2024. 

Smith, who had been living in New Zealand for only eight months since emigrating from South Africa with his parents for a safer life, stopped to talk to a pair of women who were sitting beside Siale. 

Siale grabbed Smith by his shirt and asked him what he was looking at. The pair got into a verbal altercation and, without warning, Siale punched Smith, knocking him unconscious. Smith fell backwards, his head hitting the road. 

Luke Smith died after being coward punched by Siale Siale (inset) during a night out on Wellington's Courtenay Place. 

Smith was rushed to Wellington Hospital, but his injuries were unsurvivable. He was taken off life support and died a short while later. 

In submissions on sentencing last year, Crown lawyer Sally Carter referred to Siale’s previous boxing training in 2022 when he spent four weeks training for an amateur fight. 

Defence lawyer Lucie Scott argued the boxing training was not an aggravating factor to the offending, as Siale had not had any boxing training since then and did not use any particular boxing moves in the fatal assault. 

Siale was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for the manslaughter. 

Coward-punch law tackles one-hit attacks 

When earlier addressing the new offence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said coward punches, a one-hit attack that usually caused serious injury or death, often happened when the victim was distracted. 

“We know how dangerous they are. People can be killed or suffer lifelong brain injuries, yet perpetrators often receive lenient and insufficient sentences,” he said. 

The charge was brought into law through an amendment to the Crimes Act, which passed its final reading in Parliament in early August, with most of the legislation taking effect within a week. 

The law came in with other changes to the Crimes Act, including an expansion to citizens’ arrest powers and a new offence relating to assaults on first responders and frontline corrections workers. 

Reeves earlier commended the investigation team in the Lower Hutt case, who had “worked tirelessly” to reach the point where the defendant was in custody. 

“We want to send a clear message to the public that incidents of this nature will not be tolerated, and police will work to ensure anybody who commits such [an] offence is held accountable,” he said. 

The defendant will have his next hearing in the High Court at Wellington. 

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice, and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 12 years.