A gay Wellington journalist who was fatally bashed as he left work may have been killed "for the sake of a few dollars". Phillip Cottrell, 43, passed away peacefully in Wellington Hospital at 4PM yesterday, surrounded by a large group of friends and his family. He died from severe head injuries he sustained when he was attacked on Boulcott St after 5.30AM yesterday, after he had finished his shift as an overnight bulletins editor at Radio New Zealand on The Terrace. Cottrell's wallet was taken, and Radio New Zealand head of news Don Rood has told the New Zealand Herald he presumed "naked greed" was behind the attack. "I've heard that some items were stolen and it just makes it even more callous that someone's life is worth a few dollars and a credit card, it's just pathetic. "Phillip wasn't the sort of person that would go around provoking trouble, he was not that sort of person. "He was not aggressive, he was not antagonistic, he was a nice guy ..." Cottrell had a rare medical condition that made his bones fragile and one of his friends and colleagues Lloyd Scott has told TV3, "Even if he'd been pushed and his head bashed against the wall and he fell down on his arm that might have caused the horrendous injuries he ended up with." A Briton, Cottrell moved to New Zealand about five years ago, after falling in love with the country his sister had moved to. After working with BBC Scotland and BBC in London he picked up a job at Radio New Zealand. Cottrell's death has left many in the gay community in shock and utterly heartbroken. He was one of the original members of the gay ex-pat group Queers Gone Kiwi, through which he made many friends in New Zealand. He was known for his love of travelling to far-flung parts of the world, and also for being an incredibly solid and supportive friend who helped people through the tough times in their lives. You can pay tribute to Phillip Cottrell in our forum
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 12th December 2011 - 10:19am