A man who killed his ex-girlfriend's new partner has been found guilty of manslaughter.
Matthew Brian Edmonds, 46, stood trial in the High Court at Auckland accused of the murder of Petter Bettink but the jury rejected that allegation in favour of the lesser charge this week.
The Crown characterised the incident as a jealous man "unleashing a torrent of powerful blows" against a love rival after finding him living with the woman he believed was his girlfriend.
But defence lawyer Simon Lance said Edmonds was not enraged and had only defended himself during the incident in west Auckland in November last year.
"And you will hear when he speaks to police he's very sorry for what happened and apologises to Mr Bettink's family. He did not want, or take any pleasure in, when he later found that Mr Bettink had died," Mr Lance told the jury.