Defendant, 84, in Hawke's Bay sex case dies before trial

An 84-year-old man facing charges of child sex offending died before facing trial.

The trial of an 84-year-old man facing charges of child sex offending spanning decades will not go ahead because he has died.

The man was granted name suppression this year when he first appeared at Napier District Court.

He was accused of having sex with three under-aged girls in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Yesterday during a Crown call-over at the Napier District Court, Judge Geoff Rea dismissed the charges because of the man's death and because the Crown could offer no further evidence.

The last time the Hawke's Bay man appeared in court he moved gingerly, using a walking stick. He was assisted by a care worker.

Court documents showed two of the girls were aged 7 when the alleged offending happened.

Another was listed as under the age of 16.

The man had been remanded on bail for a health report to determine whether he was fit to stand trial.

The alleged offending, between 1967 and 1973, took place in a town outside Hawke's Bay, the documents revealed.