By Catrin Owen, Stuff
One of the men charged over the murder of south Auckland man Samiuela Anania Tupou has lost his bid for continued name suppression.
A homicide investigation was launched after 21-year-old Tupou was found critically injured in Ōtāhuhu’s Seaside Park on May 25.
Janeiro Jason Tapusoa, 27, and Leroy Poi Dumars Tinei, 25, were both arrested and charged with murder on July 25.
Tapusoa applied for continued name suppression on Tuesday at the High Court at Auckland, which was dismissed by Justice Mark Woolford.
Both defendants deny the charge and will go to trial in October next year.
At a hearing on Tuesday in front of Justice Woolford, Ish Jayanandan asked for continued name suppression on the basis of fair trial rights for her client.
Crown prosecutor Gareth Kayes said the threshold for continued name suppression was not met and Justice Woolford dismissed Jayanandan’s application.
Detective Senior Sergeant Malcolm Hassall previously told Stuff, investigators had worked “tirelessly” to confirm the circumstances relating to Tupou’s death, to give his family some closure.
“We feel for his family who have been going through an extremely difficult time since his passing, and while we acknowledge this result will not bring him back, we hope it may be able to bring some form of comfort to his family and friends.”
Tupou had recently returned from the United States to live with his family in Mangere before he died.
He was described by friends and family as a fun-loving, hardworking young man.
Ma’ake Hauto, Tupou’s former schoolmate from Salt Lake City in the US, said he always had a big smile on and was always willing to help others “no matter what”.
Another friend Lavelua Pulu said Tupous was “just another older brother on the lookout”, who would always check in on his friends.
Stuff
