Man faces murder charge after death of Colin Blithe in Napier

Colin Blithe died in Napier on January 14.

A man has appeared in court charged with murder following the death of Colin Blithe in Napier last month.

The man appeared in the Napier District Court on Wednesday via an audio-visual link from Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison, where he is being held in custody.

Judge Gordon Matenga granted interim name suppression and remanded him without plea to appear in the High Court at Napier on February 17.

The murder charge was accompanied by a number of lesser charges, including assault, which were also referred to the High Court.

The man, represented in court by counsel Matt Phelps, did not speak during his brief appearance.

Blithe, 68, was found dead in his central city Napier flat on Sunday, January 15 after two friends from the nearby Bay City Club, where he was a long-term member and had previously served as vice-president, went looking for him.

His friends had not seen him for a couple of days and had become concerned for his welfare.

The charge sheet filed in court indicated that Blithe died on Saturday, January 14.

Bay City Club president Blu Corlett previously described Blithe as a “good mate to everyone here that knew him, with a good heart and a good soul”.