KEY POINTS:
A 47-year-old Southland man was remanded in custody until Friday when he appeared in Invercargill District Court today charged with assaulting a Mossburn man who died.
Colin Bruce Taylor, whose occupation wasn't given in court documents, is charged with assaulting Alistair Mabin Day, 42, a livestock agent, early on Saturday morning.
The assault is alleged to have happened during a fight outside the Railway Hotel in Mossburn, 58km southeast of Te Anau.
Taylor, also of Mossburn, was represented by lawyer Bill Dawkins during today's brief hearing.
He was remanded in custody by justice of the peace Fraser Clark.
Sergeant Penny Stratford represented the police.
Senior Sergeant Dave Raynes, of Invercargill police, told NZPA the homicide investigation was continuing today with police interviewing witnesses in Mossburn.
A post-mortem examination on Mr Day and a scene examination were completed yesterday.
Mr Raynes said further charges against Taylor were possible.
Mossburn volunteer firefighters arrived just after 2am on Saturday and worked in vain to resuscitate Mr Day, who was also a volunteer firefighter.
Mossburn residents were reported to be shocked by Mr Day's death.
Bev Brady, of the Mossburn Four Square, who has lived in the town for more than 50 years, said people were "just devastated".
"People in the town know the two men, and they are respected and hard-working," she told the Southland Times.
"It is unbelievable that this has happened.
"It is a small place and everyone is connected," Mrs Brady said.
"The two men knew each other."
- NZPA
