Man charged after 21-year-old dies from drinking drugged beer

A man who was arrested in connection to the death of 21-year-old Aiden Sagala appeared in a New Zealand court on Thursday.

The 40-year-old male, whose identity has not been released, was charged with one count of manslaughter as members of Sagala’s family watched the proceedings, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Sagala tragically died after drinking a beer that he didn’t know was laced with meth.

According to the victim’s older sister, Angela, her brother had gotten the beverages from a co-worker and decided to crack one open that night.

“He wasn’t himself. It looked like he was possessed,” she told Newshub, a New Zealand news program. “He was, like, on the ground and was trying to fidget with his nose and then he turned to me and was like, ‘Sis, I’m dying.’“

According to court documents, the man was in possession of cans labeled “Honey Bear Beer” that were laced with meth, and that he failed “to take reasonable care to avoid the cans endangering human life.”

Defense attorney Emma Priest told the judge that her client would enter a plea of not guilty. She also argued for an interim name suppression, which the judge granted.

Priest declined the Post’s request for comment.

The man is set to return to court on June 14. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

News of the deadly beer first arose in March when Sagala died at the Auckland City Hospital five days after drinking the drug-tainted alcohol.

His older sister Angela recalled the day it happened. She was grabbing dinner but returned home after receiving a frantic call from her partner. Her brother had collapsed by the time she got there.

Sagala, a doctor, managed to stabilize him until help arrived and he was admitted to the hospital.

Following his death, police issued a public safety warning.

“[Sagala’s] tragic death initiated Operation Lavender, which has seen numerous serious drugs charges already laid, and a large quantity of methamphetamine and other drugs recovered at an address in Manukau,” said Auckland City CIB Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin.

The investigation “uncovered a significant drug importation, in which drugs in liquid form were allegedly being imported concealed in beer cans, continued Baldwin, adding police estimated the value of the beer to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Officers also made two arrests in the case after finding four pallets of the contaminated beverage.