A man who was repeatedly kicked by assailants in central Napier on Thursday night has died in hospital.
He was Peter William Kitchen, 32, of Taradale, the Napier branch manager of finance company UDC and a former senior player for the Taradale Rugby Club.
He died in Hawke's Bay Hospital about 2.30am today.
He had been in intensive care since being admitted about midnight on Thursday with critical head injuries, after being assaulted in Hastings Street, Napier, about 11.30pm.
Three Napier men appeared in Napier District Court on Friday charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Kitchen and a similar charge relating to another man, a Napier school teacher who is suffering suspected broken ribs and other injuries.
An autopsy on Mr Kitchen today or tomorrow would help determine whether more serious charges would be laid, said Eastern Police District crime services manager Inspector Godfrey Watson, of Napier.
Aged 18, 19 and 20, the three arrested men were on Friday remanded in custody, without pleas and with interim name suppression, to appear in the court again on May 1.
- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY
Bashed Napier man dies
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