Manslaughter charge over Auckland park death

The 47-year-old defendant was originally charged with assaulting “longtime streetie” Teina Wharawhara after the November 11 incident. Photo / Greg Bowker, NZ Herald

A man accused of attacking a homeless man in an Auckland park has been charged with manslaughter.

The 47-year-old defendant was originally charged with assaulting "longtime streetie" Teina Wharawhara after the November 11 incident.

Yesterday a charge of manslaughter was added at Auckland District Court.

The accused has been granted interim name suppression until his next appearance in the High Court at Auckland later this month.

The Herald revealed that Auckland District Health Board staff called police when one of the victim's friends rushed to Auckland Hospital's emergency department, but an ambulance was not called for another 35 minutes.

Mr Wharawhara's friends were then forced to carry the dying man 500m from Outhwaite Park to the ED, where he was pronounced dead.

Lifewise general manager Moira Lawler said the service and its clients were deeply shocked by the incident, which was the fourth allegedly violent death of a homeless man in Auckland since 2013.