Men plead guilty to Chch burns death

Photo / File

Two men have today pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges after an assault on a Christchurch man that saw him die two weeks later of serious burn injuries.

Shay Barry Webster, 22, and Jason Alistor Barr, 44, were originally jointly charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Terrence Martin Smith on Anzac Day last year.

Mr Smith, 55, received burns to more than 30 per cent of his body during the incident.

Police upgraded the charges to murder after Mr Smith died in Auckland's Middlemore Hospital on May 8 last year.

A murder trial was scheduled for later this year.

But Barr, of Waltham, and Webster, of Woolston, appeared in the High Court at Christchurch to plead guilty to a new manslaughter indictment.

Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh presented a summary of facts to Justice Rachel Dunningham. However, it was not read out in open court today.

Defence counsel Andrew Bailey, appearing for Webster, asked for convictions not to be entered today.

He explained that Webster was undergoing some courses and hoped that they would be completed by sentencing.

Barr's defence counsel, Kirsten Gray also asked for convictions to be entered later, as he was also doing a number of courses, as well as undergoing counselling.

Barr has also asked for a restorative justice conference with Smith's family to be considered.

"He very much wants to meet with them if that is their wish," Ms Gray said.

Mr Zarifeh said that six members of Mr Smith's family were in court today.

He mentioned the possibility of such a meeting to them this morning, which they said they would think about.

Justice Dunningham called for pre-sentence reports and remanded the pair in custody for sentencing on December 4.