Man who died in alleged hit and run in West Auckland was former child actor

The man killed in an alleged hit-and-run in Auckland last week was a former actor, who was eventually deported from Australia because of his criminal background.

The NZ Herald has named Lionel Allan​ as the man who died after he was hit by a vehicle on The Concourse in Henderson on Friday night.

A 42-year-old man has since been arrested and charged with failing to stop to ascertain injury or death following a crash.

Allan, who was 39, appeared in Hercules and Being Eve between 1999 and 2002, credited as Lionel Wickliffe. On Being Eve he played Matt Te Ahi, a recurring character.

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Then in 2005 he moved to Australia to be nearer his sister and escape a party lifestyle.

But after initially finding work, he fell in with the wrong crowd which led to him eventually being convicted of a number of offences, including assault and breaking and entering.

In 2016 his criminal past saw him facing deportation under the section 501 of the Australian Migration Act.

But he managed to fight the deportation at the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal and was given a second chance to remain there with his wife and children.

But the following year he was rounded up and sent to a detention centre before he was eventually sent back to New Zealand.

The NZ Herald reported that Allan appeared at Auckland District Court earlier this year on a number of theft and burglary charges.

The report said Allan was given a community supervision sentence and was ordered to pay $1500 for a stolen trailer and $300 for damage he caused to a car.

“There’s some real positive aspects of your life that you’re able to point to,” the NZ Herald reported Judge David Sharp as saying at the sentencing.

“You’re someone who has the potential to make a consistent and long-term recovery.”