Taxi driver accused of killing Phil Goff's friend named after short suppression order

Daniel Kopa, a father-of-four, was killed after being hit by a car in downtown Auckland. Photo / Supplied

A taxi driver accused of careless driving which killed a young father and friend of Auckland's mayor can be named again after a short court suppression order.

Daljinder Singh, 25, has pleaded not guilty to operating a vehicle carelessly causing death and has elected a judge-alone trial later this year.

He was charged last December.

For the past two weeks he enjoyed an interim order preventing the Herald publishing his name, despite media having already previously reported Singh as the accused.

Daniel (Dann) Kopa, 34, died after he was hit by a car on Hobson St in Auckland's city centre just before 9am on June 6 last year.

The father-of-four was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but died after his life support was turned off two days later.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff was also friends with Kopa and his family and published a tribute to him after his death.

"I had a chance to say my goodbyes to Dann ... It is absolutely heartbreaking for Calli to lose the love of her life and for four little girls to grow up without their dad," Goff said.

Before Kopa died he had his daughter's footprint tattooed on him as a "last wish" while he lay unconscious in his hospital bed.

His family was at his bedside when Auckland tattooist Andre Garcia fulfilled Kopa's final wish - completing the tattoo on his chest and arms honouring his young children.

Singh's counsel Shannon Withers had made the application for the suppression order in the Auckland District Court last month because his client was yet to inform his new employer of three months about the charge.

He said his client sought time to "grapple with the consequences" of his name in the press.

Withers also said the defence's case will rely on a yet to be approached expert witness' evidence, who is expected to testify that the driver didn't have time to react and stop the car before hitting Kopa.

There is also CCTV footage of the crash - likely to be a key piece of evidence at trial.

The Herald and police opposed the application for name suppression and Judge Philip Recordon ruled there were no grounds to make such an order.

But Withers immediately indicated an intent to appeal the judge's decision - resulting in an automatic interim order being made.

However, Singh's appeal to the High Court was abandoned and the interim suppression order lapsed today.

Singh's trial is due to begin in September.