Brownie Hitaua died in a fire caused by unattended cooking in Whakatane in November 2020. Photo / Supplied
Brownie Hitaua died in a fire caused by unattended cooking in Whakatane in November 2020. Photo / Supplied
Brownie Hitaua was a "great father and grandfather" but he was also drunk, stoned and high on methamphetamine when he decided to cook himself something to eat.
The 47-year-old's body was found inside his Whakatāne home on November 15, 2020. A coroner has said unattended cooking was to blame.
Hitaua'sdaughter Sky Carson is calling for more support for those with addictions after wondering if she could have done more to help her "ratbag" father.
Coroner Donna Llewell's decision from September last year, which has recently been released to the Rotorua Daily Post, said a fire investigator found no suspicious circumstances but the fire had started from a pot left on the kitchen stove.
Brownie Hitaua died in a fire caused by unattended cooking in Whakatane in November 2020. Photo / Supplied
Hitaua was single and unemployed and had been released from prison about four weeks before his death. He was happy with his new home.
Carson said he messaged her when he moved in and he seemed chuffed about having his own place, having spent much of his life living with others in areas including Rotorua, Hawke's Bay and Whakatāne.
He was known to police for family harm-related incidents since February 2020 and was convicted of drug charges in March 2020. He was known to associate with Murupara's Tribesman Motorcycle Club, the decision said.
He didn't have any medical conditions apart from losing part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident during his teenage years.
Brownie Hitaua died in a fire caused by unattended cooking in Whakatane in November 2020. Photo / Supplied
Around 2.30am on November 15, 2020, Hitaua arrived in his car at a house opposite where he lived. A witness described him as being "whacked when he rocked up ... really intoxicated. He wasn't falling over but he was stumbling a bit. He was fried too, cracked out. By this I mean he had been smoking meth."
An hour later, Hitaua and a nephew walked across the road to use the bathroom and Hitaua offered to cook him food but it was declined. They went back to the neighbour's house across the road and continued drinking.
Hitaua went home around 4.10am, driving his vehicle across the road and parking it in his driveway. That was the last time he was seen alive.
At 5.36am calls were made to 111 about Hitaua's house being on fire. Fire crews arrived but flames had engulfed the entire property.
The coroner said it was likely Hitaua was woken by the fire but was unable to get to safety in time. It would have been a matter of minutes from smoke inhalation to his death.
Toxicology reports confirmed his blood alcohol level was 100mg per 100ml - twice the legal driving limit. He also had methamphetamine and cannabis in his system. The toxicologist reported that a combined use of cannabis and alcohol tended to accentuate the effects of alcohol.
Carson said Hitaua wasn't her biological father but had got together with her mother when she was pregnant with her and had raised her. Her mother and Hitaua had four more children.
"He was the funniest person you'd ever meet and everyone who knew him loved him. And yup, he'd always have a Steiny in his hand. He was just fantastic to have around even though he was a bit of a ratbag."
She said she had a spiritual connection with her father and the way he died had left her feeling like she should have done more.
"I think it's important to give people who have addictions a chance and be there for them. I wish we had been there for him. We all got the call that he died and we were in the car and off to the tangi. But why didn't we go to see him more?"
She said people with addictions needed a lot of support otherwise things like this could happen.
"Bringing awareness to how this situation happened is something that is important to do."
