A man appeared in the Whangarei District Court this morning on one charge of assault.
No plea was taken when the 60-year-old, who was granted name suppression, appeared before Justice of the Peace Erica Wellington.
Police were called to a Balmoral Rd address in Tikipunga about midnight yesterday after the altercation left a 25-year-old man dead at the scene.
The 60-year-old man was arrested at the address and police launched a homicide investigation.
Two other people, who were at the address, are assisting police with the investigation.