Youth dies after prison van trip 

Police have launched a homicide inquiry into the death of a 17-year-old, allegedly attacked in a prison van.

Liam Ashley appeared in the North Shore District Court on Thursday on charges of car conversion.

He was then put in a private security van with other prisoners enroute for Mt Eden Prison's remand wing. It is claimed he was found unconscious in the back of the van on arrival at the prison.

Ashley was taken to hospital by ambulance with severe injuries where he remained on life support throughout the night.

But on Friday morning his family was forced to make their toughest decision ever - to remove the life support system he was on.

His family is demanding answers over the incident.

"The most significant question would be why? And how could something like this happen inside the system? Liam's dead," says Brett Ashley, the victim's uncle.

The Department of Corrections would not comment on Ashley's death except to say it is being investigated by police and corrections' own independent inspector, assisted by the Ombudsman's office.

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