Wellington murder-accused pair and victim named

Name suppression has been lifted for two men charged with the murder of a man in Wellington following an assault in October last year.

Fred Pokoati, 22, and 23 year-old Jarrad Townley are jointly charged in relation to an assault in Te Aro which occurred overnight on the 3rd/4th of October 2009, say police.

The victim, Etuina Sipili, aged 44 at the time, never regained consciousness and died in Wellington Hospital on the 17th of May 2010 aged 45.

Both Pokoati and Townley have been remanded in custody to reappear in the Wellington District Court on 19 August 2010.

- NZ Herald staff