I think the citys walkwise people do there best when there is fights in town.....I see alot of people take out there cellphones during fights and record a video or just stand there and watch. I think wellingtons people dont do enough

They attack the weak looking people, gutless idiots, i have no idea why they get there kicks, i have studied MMA for a few years and would love someone to attack me, so i can teach him an lesson, not being cocky or anything, these %^&%^& needs to be teached an lessons picking on innccoent people for no reason

why we get more violent because nz very soft the law .i heard before taxi driver got stabe but police could'nt found this bastard . I think we need make strong the law if you kill someone you get kill too . i saw too many time someone swear police face by face but police can't do anything . If they coming Asian country trust me those guys swear police they get beat like the dog . wellington police very slow and no helping .That's why some young people they don't care .we need action better than talk bot no result. please thinking about that let people walking nighttime safe .

Watch the developments in this latest case of street murder. I will bet my last dollar that the result will be about 6 years for guilty plea for manslaughter, out in 4.

How can an intentional use of violence resulting in death be anything but murder. The cops should always press for a murder charge, regardless of guilty pleas for manslaughter. Not doing so robs the victims families of justice, and in some cases encourages vigilante justice.

Despite what the Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown says it seems to me that Wellington is becoming a much more dangerous place to be, especially late at night or the early hours of the morning. Violent crime can be inextricably linked to drugs and alcohol. It might be a good idea to consider developing a local force able to be the eyes and ears for the Police. It could work in pairs and keep an eye on trouble spots and in particular those dark side streets where crime is committed Some of the funding could come from the pot that funds the Walk-Wise yellow jackets, who appear to be bunch of ineffective retirees.

Judging by this story ( http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/6134928/Beating-took-place-near-murder-site ) this area is a haven for dangerous drug smoking losers. This attack isnt a one off at all.

Why do the police let this state of affairs continue?

We all know that if they catch these guys they'll get off with a warning because of some sappy judge. He'll make excuses for them "oh, you're poor", "oh you didn't have friends in school" and tell them it'll all be okay.

Meanwhile the victim will recover in a hospital bed, wondering whether it would have been better to die.

The fact that people like "Sick of it" #4 are already making excuses sums up what is wrong with this country. Those people don't want jobs, they want to get money for nothing, get drunk and high and start fights. Then they want us to pay for their lawyer, so he can argue to the hippie judge that it's society's fault.

It's not society's fault. It the people who go around and beat up strangers.

Lewis #28, I have to agree with you, but it won't happen. Violence in this country is an industry. The workers are mainly the poor, the executive and shareholders are lawyers, judges and social workers. They need to recycle the workers back into the community to keep themselves in well paid employment.

There is no will the change the status-quo. Never mind get tough on crime, last year Simon bridges trumpeted a victory about increasing the maximum sentence for cruelty to animals to 3 years. What a waste of time. When was the last time a judge gave a maximum sentence for anything.

What is needed is a sole focus on violent crime, without maximum sentences but with minimum sentences, that tie the hands of the judiciary.

Eg: Murder - Minimum 30 years

Forget this life sentence crock. I read today "life sentence for murder with minimum non parole 11 years". So it is not life but actually 11 years.

The reason why society at large is so anti and prejudice against former inmates is because they are not doing their time.

It makes you wonder why things like this very rarely happen in places like Singapore where they have a strict justice system. If violent offence is going to be stamped out in Wellington, we need to get much much tougher on these kinds of people, and it needs to happen now, not in 6 years time! There needs to be on-the-spot fines for drunken disorderly behaviour, and a 0 tolerance for violent offences. If that means installing a CCTV camera down every street in the CBD, then so be it. If we continue to sit back and do nothing though, I think Wellington in 10 years time is going to be a very unpleasant place, especially at night time, and it certainly won't be the coolest little capital in the world anymore.

@Mark #24 You did the right thing, and by stepping in you may have actually saved that kid's life. I am sorry that you didn't get his backing through the police, or from your flatmates, but you have a clear conscience and that is worth everything. Congratulations to you.