Jellicoe Park death: Four accused men appeal name suppression lapse

Emergency services at the cordon. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Four men charged in relation to the death of a 21-year-old Auckland man have taken their bid to keep their identities secret to the Court of Appeal.

Justice Gordon denied applications for continued name suppression on March 23, but their names cannot be revealed while they appeal the decision.

The deceased, who also cannot be named, was with friends socialising and playing music in Manurewa’s Jellicoe Park on October 3 last year.

But he then fell victim to what police called a “random and unprovoked attack”.

Lawyers representing the men appeared at the High Court in Auckland before Justice Sally Fitzgerald today.

Emergency services, including two ambulances, rushed to the park shortly after 11pm and tried to revive the young man.

Despite efforts to save him, he died at the scene.

At the time of the death, Acting Detective Inspector Warrick Adkin said the attack was “an absolutely tragic event for the family”.

“They are completely devastated to lose a much-loved son and brother.”

The man and his friends were at a property playing music before they moved to the park.

Adkin says two men started an attack against the group socialising at the park.

They fled afterwards. There was no information to suggest they were known to the victims.

In November, two of the men, aged in their early 20s, denied charges of murder.

The two other men denied a charge each of aggravated robbery in relation to the case.

A case review hearing will be held on May 26.