A 48-year-old man charged over the death of Hamilton man Tama Retimana has appeared in court.
The man, of no fixed abode, was given interim name suppression when he appeared in Hamilton District Court yesterday charged with manslaughter by frightening Retimana so much that his reaction killed him on December 24.
He also faces an additional charge of aggravated assault on a separate victim on October 12.
A kayaker found Retimana's body in the Waikato River near Ann St on December 27, downstream from his makeshift living quarters along the river.
The charges will now be dealt with separately in different courts after a successful severance application by police.