Man found dead in street identified

Police examine the scene where Donald Stewart's body was found. Photo / Christine Cornege

The victim of a Hamilton assault, found dead on Sunday in his slippers, has been identified.

A police homicide investigation is continuing, with appeals for sightings of the victim's white Peugeot since Saturday.

Detective Inspector Lance Burdett, of Waikato, said police believed the man was 74-year-old Wellington man Donald Alfred Stewart.

"The inquiry team is currently working to establish how Mr Stewart came to be in our city over the weekend, his family have been notified of his death and are understandably upset at the news," Mr Burdett said.

A post-mortem examination completed yesterday revealed Mr Stewart had died as a result of a blow to the head, Mr Burdett said.

Mr Stewart was found by a street cleaner lying outside a building on London St about 6am Sunday, wearing a light blue jacket with dark trim, light tan trousers, a dark brown jersey and dark brown slippers.

Mr Stewart's car, a white 1989 Peugeot 405 GRI sedan, was recovered yesterday afternoon in an Auckland scrap yard.

Police are now trying to trace the car's movements between midnight Saturday and yesterday afternoon.

"We're appealing for any sightings of the Peugeot, the last confirmed sighting of the car was of it being refuelled at the Gull service station on Norton Rd about 8.50pm Saturday night," Mr Burdett said.

"To allow closure for Mr Stewart's family we need to bring this inquiry to a timely and successful conclusion."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the inquiry team at the Hamilton Central Police Station on 07 858 6200, or anonymously via the Crimestoppers website, www.crimestoppers-nz.org, or the confidential crimeline, 0800 555111.

- NZHERALD STAFF