Manslaughter trial over balcony death

IAN STEWARD

Police allege an Auckland man charged with homicide prised a man's fingers off a balcony railing as he hung there, causing him to fall to his death.

Details of the case against Barry Harwood, 64, emerged at a call-over in the High Court at Auckland this morning.

Justice Timothy Brewer said the police summary of their case said Harwood attacked Stewart Paul Kingi, 57, after a day of drinking on March 10, 2010.

Harwood allegedly "flew into a rage because he (the victim) had wet himself".

Police said Harwood attacked the victim on the floor of a Pt England apartment and then took him out onto the second-storey balcony.

He and another man, Michael Manga, 37, allegedly threw Kingi over the balcony, though Kingi held on.

"Your client prised his fingers off the rail and he fell to his death," the judge said, reading from the police summary.

A trial has been set for May 14.

The long wait from charging to trial has been because Harwood has been suffering prostate cancer.

Harwood and Manga were initially charged with assault, but these charges were later upgraded to homicide.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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