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Man jailed for manslaughter following fatal dog attack in Panguru

RNZNZ HeraldOtago Daily TimesSaturday 18 October 2025 · 3 outlets · 2 reports · updated
Photo: RNZ (opens in new tab)

Abel Wira has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for manslaughter. The conviction follows a fatal attack by his aggressive dogs on Neville Thomson in Panguru in August 2022. This marks the first time a person has been jailed for manslaughter in New Zealand due to a dog attack.

How they headlined it

First reported by RNZ, Sat 18 Oct 2025, 11:41am · 2 reports from 2 outlets over 16 minutes
  1. RNZRNZ

    Abel Wira jailed for 3.5 years for first dog‑attack manslaughter in NZ (opens in new tab)

    Also on NZ Herald (opens in new tab)

  2. Otago Daily TimesOtago Daily Times

    Man jailed for first dog‑attack manslaughter in NZ (opens in new tab)