Newtown, Wellington death not suspicious, police say

The block of flats on Mansfield St, Newtown where the body was found last week. Photo / NZ Herald

A sudden death in the Wellington suburb of Newtown last week is not suspicious, police say.

Police were initially treating the death as “unexplained” and were making inquiries after the person was found dead at home in a Newtown block of council flats.

A spokesperson for the police said they were called to a nine-storey block of flats on Mansfield St.

Police officers, both uniformed and plain-clothed, could be seen coming and going from the building on Friday morning last week.

One resident of the building told the Herald the death had occurred on the seventh floor of the building. Another neighbour across the road had no knowledge of the incident when approached by the Herald.

A scene guard had been in place as police investigated.

But a police spokesperson has now confirmed they are not treating the death as suspicious.

“Police are not seeking anyone in relation to this incident and the matter has been referred to the coroner,” they said.

The housing complex is the same one where a dead pensioner lay undiscovered for almost a year, and was the scene of a murder in 2010.