Brother raises concerns about Ian White's death

Forensic experts examine Ian White's Peace St home in May last year. Photo/file

Graeme White can't help but shake the feeling there is more to his brother's death.

The Rotorua man has raised questions about the police's handling of the investigation, saying he had some serious concerns about the way his brother, Ian White, died.

Coroner Gordon Matenga has ruled the death was as a result of a heart condition following blunt force injuries and alcohol intoxication.

But Graeme said in his view several things didn't add up and more thorough forensic testing should have been carried out because he didn't believe his brother's injuries were accidentally self-inflicted in a drunk state.

Police have acknowledged in a written response to Rotorua Daily Post questions that the death was "unusual" and was initially treated as a homicide.

However, following a thorough investigation, it was ruled there was no evidence to indicate anyone else was involved in his death.

Bay of Plenty police field crime manager Detective Inspector Lew Warner said a detailed forensic examination was carried out including a luminol blood examination of the scene to highlight any areas where significant trauma or violence might have occurred.

It found they didn't believe anyone else other than Ian had been in the house when he died.

But Graeme said he took his own photographs inside the house following the police investigation.

He said his brother would constantly fall and sustain injuries as a result of being drunk but he questioned whether those injuries were enough to bring on a heart turn.

"Stress can cause heart failure. Was it through him falling? I have seen him in that intoxicated state and a drunk person doesn't fall, they flop.

"Those blood stains, they don't look like he has fallen."

Graeme said Ian's home was dirty and messy yet there was evidence someone had tried to clean up the blood.

"He is not the sort who would have attempted to clean it up."

Bloodied footprints by the bed where Ian's body was found were ruled to be Ian's but Graeme said that wasn't possible as they were smaller than his feet, and his brother had feet two sizes bigger.

"I don't believe these footprints were his ... Ian always had trouble getting shoes. He was size 13. Mine were size 11.

Graeme White, who has size 11 feet, stands next to bloodied footprints which police said belonged to Ian White. Ian White had size 13 feet. Photo/supplied

"I feel disappointed in the standard of the investigation. They took 67 blood samples and they tested eight of them, 30 were taken from the car but it was deemed old blood."

Graeme said several people who had contacted him about Ian's lifestyle in the months leading up to his death.

Graeme and his wife tried several times to get him to lead a healthier lifestyle but he said they were "beating their heads against a brick wall".

He said his brother needed moral support all the time, even when they were younger, and he took their mother's death hard.

"Our mother was that moral support ... I tried to help him and our sister had tried to help him as well but he always tried to find a quick solution to everything."

Meanwhile, Mr Warner said police couldn't find evidence of anyone else being at the scene or any sign of a struggle.

Mr Warner said bloody footprints were found within the house and Ian had blood on the soles of his feet. There was also clothing and socks (stockings) beside his bed that contained blood stains. The blood found was identified as belonging to Ian.

Mr Warner said the size of the footprints were hard to determine but indicated the person had moved around the house and there had been an attempt to clean up the scene.

However, the blood on the mop handle and towel used, was identified as belonging to Ian.

A large number of blood samples were taken from the scene. Many of these samples were in close proximity to each other.

Blood was on the walls throughout Ian White's home, which his brother questions were from self-inflicted accidental injuries. Photo/supplied

Mr Warner said that after consultation with ESR, it was decided to examine samples in each distinct area. If any DNA came back that was not Ian's, he said police would have examined further samples. However, all blood samples examined belonged to Ian.

He said a detailed examination of Ian's car was completed and no blood was detected on the seats, carpets, pillars or steering wheel.

"Our inquiries revealed that sadly over the last months of his life, Mr White was a chronic alcoholic and his health was deteriorating. There were many times over this period where he was seen with visible injuries. There were occasions where people saw him falling over causing injuries to himself," he said.

"Our inquiry could find no evidence indicating anyone else was involved in his death."