Christchurch rest home death: Elderly resident charged with manslaughter passes away

The tragic case has been dropped at the High Court in Christchurch.

An elderly man charged with violently killing a fellow resident at a Christchurch rest home's dementia unit has passed away.

The man, in his 70s, was charged with manslaughter after an incident at Heritage Lifecare last year with a man in his 80s.

His case was going through the High Court in Christchurch when he passed away earlier this year after suffering severe dementia.

Widespread suppression orders have blanketed the case, preventing publication of the name of the elderly resident who died, his alleged attacker, and the name of the rest home.

The court confirmed final suppression orders for both men today but said the rest home can now be identified.

The elderly resident charged with manslaughter was suffering with severe dementia at the time of the assault.

Before his recent death, mental health assessors found he was unfit to stand trial.

The manslaughter charge was dropped and the case closed, with no further criminal proceedings to go ahead.

However, it's understood that a coronial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death could still be held.