Father, son not named over death

A father and son charged after a man died on Father’s Day in Hastings have interim name suppression.

In the Hastings District Court yesterday the father, 61, entered no plea to a charge of assault with intent to injure, while his son, 29, entered no plea to a count of common assault.

A strong family presence sat in the public gallery to see the men appear in the dock one after the other during the early-afternoon court sitting.

A justice of the peace granted both men bail after no opposition was offered from police.

The court ordered them not to associate with each other or drink alcohol while on bail.

Their lawyer, Matthew Phelps, successfully applied for interim name suppression which will apply until a court appearance later this month.

Emergency services were called at 6.40pm on Sunday to a home on Maraekakaho Rd, Bridge Pa, to help a man with serious head injuries.

He was taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital in a critical condition then transferred to Wellington Regional Hospital close to midnight for “further specialist treatment”. It is understood he died yesterday morning.

A Bridge Pa resident said she heard “yelling and screaming” the night the man was discovered injured.

Soon after the incident, police said it appeared to have been a hit and run, but that has not been confirmed.

A police scene examination has been carried out in the past two days.

Detective Inspector Mike Foster said a post-mortem examination was expected to be completed yesterday. Police had yet to name the dead man.