A man who allegedly caused a fatal crash in Port Chalmers has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and can now be named.<\/p>\n
Morgan Caleb Morrell, 24, appeared before the High Court at Dunedin yesterday, where counsel John Westgate said there were no available grounds to argue for the continuation of name suppression.<\/p>\n
The order, which had been in force since the defendant\u2019s first appearance, thus lapsed.<\/p>\n
As well as the alleged manslaughter of John Taylor, Morrell also denied counts of dangerous driving causing injury to two others and one of failing to stop and ascertain injury after a crash.<\/p>\n
On January 30, at 9pm, the defendant was allegedly driving in Wickliffe Tce, Port Chalmers, when he hit a power pole.<\/p>\n
At the time, a witness told the\u00a0Otago Daily Times\u00a0they had noticed the vehicle in the area and after the incident, saw someone “getting out of the car bleeding”.<\/p>\n
One person was lying unconscious in the street and another was “desperately” trying to revive him, the witness said.<\/p>\n
Morrell made no application for bail and was remanded in custody until his next hearing in May.<\/p>\n