Young South African dies after assault in New Zealand entertainment district

09 October 2024 - 08:10
By TimesLIVE
Expat Luke Smith has died in New Zealand.
Image: The Blackhouse via Give-A-Little.co.nz Expat Luke Smith has died in New Zealand.

New Zealand police are investigating the fatal assault on 21-year-old Luke Smith, whose family emigrated there from South Africa earlier this year.

A 29-year-old man was arrested, said detective senior sergeant Tim Leitch of the Wellington criminal investigations brancht.

Smith was in a fight at about 3.15am on Sunday at a bus stop on Courtenay Place in Wellington. He was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. His family was with him when the decision was taken to switch off the life support.

“Investigators are continuing to comb through evidence and we need to speak to anyone who saw the incident and has yet to contact us,” Leitch said.

“People came to the assistance of Luke after the assault, and we would like to speak to them and obtain video and still images people may have of the incident.”

A post-mortem is scheduled for Wednesday, after which his family are planning to return him to South Africa for his funeral.

The suspect, who was arrested on Monday, is due to reappear in court on October 21.

A fundraiser to assist the Smith family with the repatriation, travel costs and mental health counselling has been launched by The Blackhouse, which describes itself as a representative of the wider African community in Wellington.

It states: “No family should have to endure this pain or face it alone in a foreign country. Luke was full of life, hope, and promise, a bright light taken far too soon, a young man who loved to dance. His assault and death on Monday night, in the heart of Wellington’s entertainment district, is an unthinkable tragedy.”

TimesLIVE