The 18-year-old youth charged with the death of a two-year-old Hastings boy has today pleaded not guilty.
The teen, who has interim name suppression, entered his pleas for the charges of manslaughter and assault at the High Court in Napier.
Matiu Wereta was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital from a Flaxmere address on the morning of October 13.
He died there the following day.
The man has been remanded on bail until a hearing on April 26.