Trial begins for man charged with killing Bruce Coker

Bruce Coker died in hospital from head injuries days after he was found unconscious on the side of a road last December. File photo

The trial of the man charged with killing Wellingtonian Bruce Coker started today.

A jury of seven men and five women will sit through the trial at the High Court in Wellington, which is set down for two weeks.

Mr Coker died in hospital from head injuries days after he was found unconscious on the side of a road in Tawa last December.

Cruz Murray is charged with his manslaughter.

A jury has heard details of the devastating injuries Mr Coker suffered before he died in hospital last year.

Crown prosecutor Tom Gilbert told the jury the two men chanced upon each other in the street, and started fighting.

Liz Hall, Murray's lawyer, told the jury he was acting in self defence.

She said Mr Coker started the altercation.