Beaten man killed with hammer, say police

A man killed in a fight in Wairoa on Friday night is believed to have been hit with a hammer, police say.

A post-mortem examination on Barlow James Cooper, 35, was held in Auckland yesterday.

Two youths have been charged with assault. An 18-year-old appeared in Wairoa District Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until next Tuesday and a 16-year-old was remanded in custody until today.