Answers sought over paintball attack death

The mother of a Hamilton man who collapsed and died after a paintball attack wants to know why no one was charged over his death.

Kelsey William Thrupp, 33, was shot more than 20 times with paintball pellets and punched by a gang of youths in the small Bay of Plenty town of Waihi Beach on February 19, 2006 and died at the scene, Fairfax Media reported.

This week, at an inquest in Waihi, coroner Peter Ryan said those involved in the attack bore "a moral responsibility" for Mr Thrupp's death.

A pathologist report said Mr Thrupp died of ischaemic heart disease and concluded the injuries inflicted in the assault did not directly contribute to his death.

However, Mr Ryan said the paintball attack was a "significant contributing factor" in his death.

One man was convicted of possessing a weapon with intent to commit an offence and discharging an airgun with reckless disregard and another youth was convicted of assault but no one was charged over his death.

His mother Larna Thrupp told the inquest her son would be alive if he had not been attacked.

Mr Ryan said Mr Thrupp had an extremely serious heart condition and could have gone into heart failure at any time.

He said being peppered with paintball pellets would have placed a huge load on Mr Thrupp's heart which failed under the stress of the attack and his injuries.

Ms Thrupp said her family was angry that no-one had been charged over his death.

Police said at the time that it appeared no one wanted to kill Mr Thrupp and the incident was "a bloody tragedy" after a minor scuffle.

- NZPA