Auckland drug dealers Andrew Fausia, John Logo plead guilty to charges after Adrian Selwyn’s death

Two Auckland methamphetamine dealers who were initially charged with manslaughter – the result of a customer being kicked in the head following a complaint over the quality of their product – have pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Andrew Fausia, 30, and John Logo appeared in the High Court at Auckland on Friday as family members of victim Adrian Wayne Johnathon Selwyn sat in the gallery wearing black shirts with his image and the words “Justice for Ajay”.

Fausia has not been identified in media reports by name since his arrest in April last year, but name suppression lapsed with his guilty plea. His younger brother, 29-year-old Alex Fausia, pleaded guilty to manslaughter four months ago and is awaiting sentencing.

Selwyn, 39, was found dead inside the Auckland Newmarket Motel, where he was a long-term resident, in March last year. His death was at first a mystery, but investigators quickly pieced together a narrative after viewing the motel’s carpark CCTV footage from about a week earlier.

Selwyn had requested to purchase methamphetamine from Logo, who was recorded arriving at the motel in his orange Mazda Demio around 8pm on March 7, 2023. About 15 minutes later, Selwyn contacted Logo to complain about the drug’s poor quality. Logo responded by proposing a “one-on-one” fight, picking up the Fausia brothers before returning to the motel, court documents state.

“Come out,” Selwyn was texted as the trio arrived.

“Mr Selwyn approached Mr Logo, leaving a distance of about one metre between them,” court documents state. “Mr Logo quickly assumed a fighting stance and clenched his hands into fists. Mr Selwyn stood with his hands at his sides and does not appear from the footage to indicate he intended to fight Mr Logo.”

But seconds into the conversation between Logo and Selwyn, the younger of the Fausia brothers delivered the kick to Selwyn’s head.

“Mr Selwyn, who did not see or anticipate the assault and therefore did nothing to protect himself, was immediately knocked unconscious and fell backwards, hitting the back of his head on the pavement,” documents state. “Mr Selwyn made no attempt to break his fall nor did either of the defendants.

“The group immediately approached Mr Selwyn and attempted to wake him.”

When he wouldn’t wake, the group took Selwyn to his room and left him on his bed before leaving in the same car. Selwyn’s family requested a welfare check from hotel staff a week later after not hearing from him, at which point his body was found.

His death was determined to have been the result of a brain bleed caused by blunt-force trauma to the head.

While investigating the death, police obtained text messages between Logo and the older Fausia brother indicating the two worked together in the meth trade. They messaged about orders on the day after Selwyn’s death, before his body had been found. They supplied at least 5g of methamphetamine that month, officers determined from their messages.

Police executed search warrants at their Mt Wellington, Ōtāhuhu and Glen Innes homes the following month.

In Logo’s home, officers found a satchel next to his bed containing 55g of meth packaged for sale. Another 8g was found on Logo, along with $5000 cash.

At Andrew Fausia’s home, police found 132g of methamphetamine and 15.7g of a substance commonly used by dealers to dilute the drug before sale. They also located three firearms, including two shotguns that were concealed near the drugs in the kitchen, as well as ammunition and $19,000 cash.

The younger Fausia brother was found to have an additional 432g in a red shoe box at his home, along with nearly $17,000 cash and shotgun ammunition.

“In explanation for his actions when spoken to by police, Mr Logo acknowledged supplying methamphetamine to Mr Selwyn and being at the scene,” the agreed summary of facts for the case state. “He stated he is dealing methamphetamine to support his own drug habit.”

Logo pleaded guilty to five charges: two counts of supplying meth that month to Selwyn and “persons unknown”, two counts of possession of methamphetamine for supply on the day the search warrants were executed and one count of conspiring with the younger Fausia brother to injure Selwyn. The elder Fausia brother, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to the same supplying to “persons unknown” charge and five other counts relating to the contraband found in his home.

Justice Christian Whata entered the duo’s convictions at the end of the brief hearing and set a sentencing date for October.

While neither man faces a manslaughter charge anymore, they will still face the same sentencing range. Supplying methamphetamine also carries a maximum possible punishment of life imprisonment.

Younger brother Alex Fausia, who did admit the manslaughter charge, is set to be sentenced this month.

Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.