Victim . . . Mark Smith.
Paul Richards, 34, was originally charged with assault but that was upgraded.
He entered no plea and was remanded on bail to an Invercargill address to reappear on December 18.
Defence counsel Bill Dawkins said a plea may be entered on that date.
One of the conditions of bail was that Richards not enter Queenstown. He also had to surrender his passport.
Mr Smith was found unconscious at a taxi stand in Camp St, Queenstown, about 11.30pm on November 19 and could not be revived.
