Coroner warns of shared-access driveway dangers

The case of a protracted and ultimately fatal row between two Auckland men reached its conclusion yesterday in a Coroner's Court finding that included a warning of the dangers of shared-access driveways.

Coroner Murray Jamieson ruled Ronald John Smith, 64, died as a result of a skull fracture after a fall at his North Shore home.

At the moment of his death, Mr Smith had been fighting with his neighbour over parking rights on a driveway the men shared.

His neighbour was never charged, and has been granted permanent name suppression.

A police summary said Mr Smith's neighbour was taking his son for a driving lesson on the evening of March 14 when he was set upon by Mr Smith in the driveway. Mr Smith wrenched open the driver's door and accused the man of trespassing.

The two men exchanged blows, then rolled around on the ground fighting.

Mr Smith stood up for a moment, then fell to the ground, striking his head, the court was told yesterday.

Both his neighbour and ambulance staff tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at Auckland City Hospital a few hours later.

Crown prosecutors had originally investigated charging Mr Smith's neighbour with manslaughter, but it was decided a prosecution would be likely to fail.

Dr Jamieson ruled that Mr Smith, a retired boat builder, died of a skull fracture caused by the fall. But in his ruling, he drew attention to the problems inherent in communal driveways.

"Access ways which are shared between neighbours are a frequent cause of disputes to which New Zealand police officers are called on a very frequent basis."

A loud parrot owned by Mr Smith's neighbour is also understood to have been a sore point between the two men. Neighbours have told the Herald of the "quite clever parrot" that would "yap day and night".