A man accused of fatally stabbing another young man on the Kapiti Coast has pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
Tristim Eastham, 25, was originally charged with murdering Sean Strongman-Lintern on 15 September last year.
However, at a hearing in the High Court in Wellington on Monday afternoon he was arraigned on a charge of manslaughter and pleaded guilty.
Justice Ron Young convicted Eastham and gave him a first strike warning under the three strikes legislation.
Eastham was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month.
The victim's father, Daniel Lintern, is furious that Eastham was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter.
Daniel Lintern, who flew in from Australia for the hearing, said the reduced charge doesn't send the right message to the community.
"There's a kid out there now, living and breathing, who won't be here at Christmas. Someone will kill him knowing that they can rely on a manslaughter charge here."
Mr Lintern believes Eastham's offer of restorative Justice is not genuine, but is simply a way to gain further credit at sentencing.
Mr Strongman-Lintern died five weeks after another young man, Izak Millanta, was beaten to death in the same area in Paraparaumu.
Earlier this year Manawanui Stewart was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to Mr Millanta's manslaughter.
