The victim of a fatal attack was filmed lying unconscious on the pavement

Court documents say a man who pleaded guilty to a fatal attack in a Wellington city center car park kicked his victim in the groin, swore at him and filmed him on his phone as he lay unconscious and bleeding on the pavement.

Siale Siale, 29, he pleaded guilty to murder in the High Court in Wellington last week.

His victim Luke Smith, 21, died after being removed from life support due to a contusion to the right side of his jaw, a skull fracture, brain swelling and hemorrhaging.

A summary of facts given to RNZ today reveals the circumstances of the attack.

At approximately 3:15 a.m. on October 6, 2024, Siale was sitting on a park bench in front of the old Reading Cinema building on Courtenay Place.

The previous day he had been drinking since 5 p.m.

At about the same time, Smith and his friend were walking down Courtenay Place toward the Ace of Spades bar to meet another friend who would drive them home. He drank too.

According to the summary, while passing the old Reading cinema building, Smith began talking to two women sitting on a bench next to Siale.

As he passed by, Siale grabbed him by the shirt and asked him what he was looking at. A verbal argument ensued and Smith’s friend tried to pull him away.

He was about to leave when Siale asked, “Do you want to tell me what the hell you said?” to which Smith replied, “I’ll make you look like a pussy.”

Without warning, the defendant struck him once on the jaw with his left hand, knocking him unconscious.

Smith fell backward, hitting his head on the floor.

Siale then turned to Smith’s friend and said, “You want some, bro?” before pulling out his phone and recording a video.

While Smith lay unconscious on the ground, Siale extended a finger at him and kicked him once in the upper thigh/groin and said, “Fuck you, motherfucker.”

Siale left the scene while witnesses and Smith’s friend performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, called 111 and placed him in the recovery position.

Police and paramedics arrived and Siale returned and Smith’s friend pointed him out to police. Subsequently, Siale was arrested.

The next day, Smith was taken off life support.

By way of explanation, Siale agreed that there had been an argument and said that Smith wanted to fight him, but Siale himself threw the first punch.

Judge Karen Grau granted him bail pending sentencing in February next year to continue his rehabilitation efforts.

She said his large and close-knit family, who were present in court, helped Siala “come to terms with the horror of having his life taken.”

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