An inquest into the March 2005 death of Dunedin teenager Nicholas Munro was adjourned yesterday following an indication to the coroner from Mr Munro's family that it intended to lodge a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
The lawyer for Mr Munro's family, Judith Ablett-Kerr, said the details of the complaint had yet to be finalised, but confirmed it would include a request for the circumstances of Mr Munro's death to be reinvestigated by police from another police district.
She declined to elaborate further yesterday.
Mr Munro (18) died in Dunedin Hospital days after he was punched at a taxi stand outside a Frederick St, Dunedin, bar in March 2005.
No charges were laid after two investigations undertaken by Dunedin police into the death in 2005.
An inquest scheduled to start in the Dunedin Coroner's Court yesterday was expected to last three days, with witnesses from across the country being called.
If some other inquiry is to be held, a coroner may adjourn an inquest if he is satisfied it might prejudice any person who might be charged with a criminal offence relating to the death or its circumstances.
Southern region coroner David Crerar told the court he could not rule out any charges being laid in relation to Mr Munro's death following an inquiry by the IPCA.
He suppressed the name of the other person involved in the March 2005 incident and those of that person's parents and adjourned the inquest until further notice.
Mr Munro's father, John, declined to comment on the coroner's decision.
