Siale Siale, a New Zealand boxer who pleaded guilty to manslaughter following the death of South African man Luke Smith has been jailed for two years and three months in prison.
His mother Natasha Smith confirmed that Siale was sentenced to two years and three months in jail.
The judge also made an order for emotional harm reparation of $10,000.
Following the sentence Natasha said: "We are serving a living God and will always have faith.
The 21-year-old Smith, who moved to Upper Hutt in New Zealand in February 2024, died in hospital on October 7, 2024, following an assault in Courtenay Place two days earlier.
According to The Post, a publication in New Zealand, Siale and Smith had an altercation at around 3 am on October 5, 2024.
Smith had been talking to two females when Siale asked him what he was looking at.
The Post reported that Siale punched him in the jaw and Smith fell unconscious.
Smith was placed on life support and later succumbed to his injuries.
His father Brian said Luke had moved to New Zealand in February 2024 with his mother.
“Luke had tried to get into college and had a passion for plumbing and electrical work.”
He said an apprenticeship was not readily available for foreigners, so Luke was due to return to South Africa in November, when his visa expired, to complete a plumbing course and return to New Zealand.
Following his death, Luke's body was repatriated to South Africa and his funeral took place in November in the Eastern Cape.
According to Stuff, another New Zealand publication the Judge during sentencing found that Siale, a father of one, had shown great remorse and was a candidate for rehabilitation.
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