Murder charge over death of mosque cleaner

4.00pm

A 21-year-old Auckland man charged earlier this month with assault was today charged with murder.

Mohamed Hussein, 21, of Mt Albert, appeared in Auckland District Court to face a charge of murdering cleaner Alan Priestley at a mosque in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill.

Mr Priestley, 72, who lived in Mt Roskill, was critically injured at the Wesley Islamic Centre on July 11 and died in hospital three days later.

Hussein was initially charged with assaulting Mr Priestley but that was dropped today, a murder charge substituted, and name suppression lifted.

Hussein was remanded to the Mason Clinic in Auckland until September for a psychiatric assessment.

- NZPA