Māngere homicide investigation: Man accused of murdering 69-year-old can now be named

Tupufia Faulau, 58, was been charged with murder following the death of a 69-year-old who as injured at his Māngere East home in October. Photo / NZME

Name suppression has lapsed for a South Auckland factory hand accused of fatally assaulting a 69-year-old man at his Māngere East home in October.

He is 58-year-old Tupufia Fualau.

Fualau made his first High Court appearance, via audio-video link, for the murder charge today.

He did not address Justice Sally Fitzgerald directly, because a Samoan interpreter was not provided for the hearing, but he had earlier instructed defence lawyer Michael Kan to plead not guilty for him.

A trial date has been set for March 2023.

Fualau was initially arrested in October for a charge of wounding with intent. The charge was upgraded last month to murder.

Emergency services were called to the 69-year-old man's Māngere East home early in the morning on October 24. They found him critically injured from what appeared to be an assault, police have previously said.

The man died at Middlemore Hospital that night, authorities said.

Police arrested Fualau on the wounding charge the following day, indicating that further charges might be laid in the future.