Accused in fatal Taita fight named

The man appeared by audio visual link in the High Court at Wellington this morning. Photo / File

The man charged with murder after a fatal fight in the Lower Hutt suburb of Taita can now be named.

50-year-old Warren Pay appeared by audio visual link in the High Court at Wellington this morning, his second appearance since being charged with the murder of 29-year-old Faapaia Fonoilaepa.

Fonoilaepa died from a single stab wound following the assault in the evening of September 14.

Police arrested Pay five days after the death, saying he was the occupant of a silver station wagon seen leaving the area after the fight.

He was arrested in Hastings and originally charged with possession of a firearm and a knife, but was later charged with murder by stabbing or cutting.

Pay will enter pleas to the charges at his next appearance in February.

Crown prosecutor Kate Feltham said a two-week jury trial had been set for October next year.

Another man, who has interim name suppression, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, and will go to trial in November next year, depending on the outcome of Pay's trial.

A woman who lives near where the fight happened earlier told the Herald she could hear someone yelling "help me" at the scene.

The woman, who didn't want to be named, believed it was a gang clash.

She and her 17-year-old son were thinking about calling police when officers arrived at the scene.

"I didn't see what actually happened ... I just wanted to stay inside because you don't want to get involved in that kind of thing," she said.

The pair were already in the process of moving house and are glad to be doing so. The woman fears gang retribution for any cooperation they had with police.

During the fight she could hear the words "help me" and saw people running into the road to stop traffic. She believes it was to get help for the critically injured victim.

Another High St resident said this was the worst thing to happen in the area for about five years.

He said local kids had been talking about a "Mongrel Mob movement".

He said the incident was sad and unnecessary.