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Jashmatbai Patel - Source: ONE News -
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A son of the 78-year-old killed after an act of road rage says no apologies can ever bring back his father.
Bio O'Brien on Tuesday admitted the manslaughter of Jasmatbhai Patel in April in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert following a minor car crash.
Patel's family, speaking exclusively to ONE News, say they are still angry and have not received an apology from O'Brien.
"Nobody (has) come to me," says Jasmatbhai's Patel's son George.
The family welcomed the guilty plea but stressed that they are still grieving for their loved one and that O'Brien must pay for what he did.
O'Brien's family also spoke to ONE News after his court apperarance on Tuesday.
His uncle says anger got the better of his nephew but that is no excuse.
"He didn't do it on purpose but just spur of the moment. I'm sure he is very remorseful for what he has done and I hope he has learnt his lesson," says Samani O'Brien.
The summary of facts presented in court says after a minor collision between their two cars O'Brien pulled Patel from his van and there was a verbal and physical row.
Police say despite apologies from Patel, O'Brien repeatedly struck him and finally pushed him over onto the curb.
The base of Patel's head was fractured and he lost consciousness and died in hospital from his injuries the next day.
A number of bystanders witnessed the attack including several school children who told ONE News at the time that O'Brien viciously punched Patel, but O'Brien's mother-in-law disputes that.
Sarai Tufala says the pathology report does not back up the accusation of vicious punches.
"There were no marks oo his face, head or anywhere on his body that can be attributed to a blow or blows except for two faint marks on his chest."
However, his family do concede if O'Brien had not got out of his car after the collision then Patel would still be alive.
O'Brien will be sentenced in September.
