Victim’s family seeking answers
Manslaughter victim Matthew Coley was planning on making Invercargill his home before being killed by an alcoholfuelled teen, his family says.
Coley, 40, died in hospital after Tyrone Palmer, 16, punched him in the head outside an Invercargill Night ’n Day store in the early hours of April 9.
Palmer, who admitted a charge of manslaughter, was sentenced to 22 months’ jail when he appeared in the High Court at Invercargill last week.
It later emerged that he had consumed alcohol, the class A drug LSD and cannabis before the unprovoked attack.
Coley’s mother, Laraine Coley, said it had been a horrendous four months for the family since her son’s death.
But rather than grieve in silence, the family had made the decision to speak out about New Zealand’s problem with youth related violence and alcohol.
They wanted to help generate discussion and help find some answers, she said.
Her son, who was raised at Pauanui and had travelled around New Zealand working as a chef for years, was making Invercargill his home before his tragic death.
‘‘He called it Invers; he really liked it. He was planning to settle down in Invercargill and we were working on how to help him get a kickstart to do that.’’
Ironically, Invercargill was a place Coley felt comfortable in, his mother said.
‘‘He said he liked the friendliness and we certainly felt that when we were down there. He had met some nice people.’’
A loner, keen writer and avid surfer, Coley had been in the south for about three years and was planning on opening up his own surfboard shop in Invercargill.
His mother was disturbed by the ten- der age of the teens, including Palmer, who confronted her son on the morning of his death.
She did not believe Palmer’s sentence was adequate, saying it sent out the wrong message to other youngsters.
During sentencing, it was revealed Palmer had been ‘‘spoiling for some sort of confrontation’’ on the morning of the attack.
Coley, who had not been confrontational and had his hands by his sides, was intoxicated, vulnerable and surrounded by Palmer and his associates when fatally punched in the head once by Palmer.
‘‘In a year he is only 18 or 19 and walking free and I have lost my son forever. Something doesn’t ring true with me, that’s how I am feeling,’’ Coley’s mother said.
She did not pretend to have the answers to solving the problems of youth related alcohol and violence, but was willing to try.
‘‘I don’t know the answers but we now live in an age where you aren’t even allowed to smack your children. There seems to be a lot of discipline gone.’’
‘‘We have to really look at what’s happening here in New Zealand.’’
Alcohol-fuelled violence with youth was happening everywhere.
During Palmer’s sentencing in Invercargill, several people had approached her with looks of shock on their faces, she said.
‘‘I am getting that reaction ... there’s a lot of people saying, what’'s going on.’’
‘‘This isn’t about attacking Tyrone Palmer. It’s about addressing what’s happening in New Zealand. It’s just too much.’’