Campaigners fight martial arts champ's manslaughter verdict

Two well-known justice campaigners are trying to have a manslaughter conviction against martial arts champion Paul Kingi overturned.

The two are Dermot Nottingham, who came to prominence in the 1990s by exposing odometer tampering on imported cars, and Sensible Sentencing Trust founder Garth McVicar.

After a two-week trial in the High Court at Palmerston North, a jury found Kingi guilty of the manslaughter of his uncle Wananga Kingi at a farm south of Dannevirke on January 6 last year.

During an argument at the farm over a bull, Kingi struck his uncle, who fell and hit his head on the concrete floor of his carport.

He died two days later from a skullfracture.

Kingi is a champion in K1 fighting, a sport which includes karate, kickboxing, tae kwan do and kung fu techniques.

He has also wrestled and participated in strongman events.

Kingi will be sentenced today in Palmerston North.

Mr Nottingham became involved after he was approached by Buck Stowers, a friend of Kingi's. Mr Stowers told of rumours in the Dannevirke community that Kingi's trial had been compromised.

Mr Nottingham travelled to Dannevirke shortly after Kingi had been convicted and spent three days in the southern Hawkes Bay town, making inquiries with members of the Kingi family and other people connected with the case.

He took his evidence to Mr McVicar, who elected to support the push for a retrial.

Mr Nottingham said Kingi was grieving every day.

"He'll be emotionally destroyed if he gets a jail term knowing he's not guilty of manslaughter."

Mr Nottingham expects that an appeal will be lodged after Kingi's sentencing today.

He remains convinced Kingi is innocent of manslaughter.

- NZPA