SA attack victim's family rejects apology

The family of a man who died a week after he was ambushed in his suburban Adelaide home say they do not accept the apology of the man charged over the attack.

Leonard Rielly, 71, was the victim of a violent home invasion in March last year and died in hospital a week later.

Derek Strangways was initially charged with Mr Rielly's murder, but that charge was dropped at the end of last year.

He has pleaded guilty to aggravated serious criminal trespass and dishonestly taking property without consent, and appeared in the South Australian District Court for a sentencing hearing on Wednesday.

The court heard Strangways had written a letter to the court expressing his understanding of the impact of the crime on the victim and his family.

Outside court, the victim's brother, Dennis Rielly, said the family did not accept the apology.

"If you just look at the man and his attitude towards us as a family and what he's caused, it's just very disheartening," he said.

"We don't accept anything from him when he sits in court, tapping his fingers, while he's being asked questions and just ignores what's being said."

Mr Rielly said he did not believe his brother was murdered, but the charges "don't seem to be anywhere near adequate".

"Forty odd years he spent in his house, never had any problems until this time," he said.

"His house was violated, within a week he was dead.

"We can't say for sure but we thought that, perhaps, what happened to him is related to his passing."

Judge Rauf Soulio will sentence Strangways at the end of July.