A homicide investigation is underway following the death of 44-year-old Brenton Marni Parata who was assaulted at Christchurch Men's Prison last Wednesday.
Parata passed away early this morning after his life support was disconnected on Sunday afternoon.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Worner said an investigation into the serious assault on Parata has been elevated to a homicide investigation after he died this morning.
Te Kāea understands Parata was assaulted in his cell at Christchurch Men's Prison and a scene examination at the prison was completed on Saturday.
While there have been reports on Parata's criminal history, Canterbury Police can't provide any further details as the homicide investigation is still in its early stages.
A date of the full results for the post-mortem has not been released but police have indicated it will not be available for some time.