Mason Street, Moera, Lower Hutt. Photo: Supplied/ Google Maps
The man who died after a serious assault on Friday was a "career criminal" who was convicted for beating an elderly man earlier this year.
Police in Lower Hutt named the victim of Friday's assault in Lower Hutt as Craig McKelvie, 52.
Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Todd said McKelvie was found seriously injured at an address in Mason Street in Moera after police were called about 10pm. He died in hospital.
In April, McKelvie was sentenced to three months' home detention on charges of assault with intent to injure, and menace, after drenching a man with petrol and hitting him with a hammer, Open Justice reported in the NZ Herald.
The elderly man admitted to investigators that he had put a hit out on McKelvie to have him injured, and claimed McKelvie owed him $30,000.
Judge Bruce Davidson said the victim had asked a third party to assault or seriously hurt McKelvie, but that had not been carried out, Open Justice reported.
Davidson said McKelvie's "career" of crime spanned the 1980s to 2021. However, he also said there was a clear link between the path Mckelvie had taken and early abuse he had suffered in state care from those in charge of a boy's home.
Detective Senior Sergeant Todd said investigators want to talk with anyone who spoke to McKelvie in the days before his death.
"Police believe friends or associates of Mr McKelvie may hold information that could help us in this investigation and we would like to hear from anyone who spoke with him in the days before his death," Todd said.
