ORANGE man Graeme Wilton died on Monday after allegedly being punched in the head by a 22-year-old Coonabarabran man on December 12 last year.
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Police expect to lay fresh charges on the alleged offender after Mr Wilton’s death.
Mr Wilton was walking along Griffith Road in Mannering Park on the central coast at about 7.30pm two weeks before Christmas when a white ute pulled up alongside him.
Witnesses told officers a man got out and punched the 56-year-old in the head.
He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for head injuries, before being taken to Wyong Hospital.
Mr Wilton’s condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Royal North Shore Hospital where he remained on life support until Monday.
At the time of the attack Mr Wilton and his wife Marlene had left Orange to travel around Australia for two years and enjoy their retirement.
Strike Force Mooneye, comprising officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command, was established to investigate the attack.
Following investigations, police executed a search warrant at a home on Vales Road in Mannering Park, where they seized items for forensic testing.
The 22-year-old fled the scene but he was arrested on January 18 and charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent.
Mr Wilton was a long-term Ulysses Club member in Orange.
