Body in garage police focus on Wellington

Police investigating a murder following the discovery of a body in a New Plymouth garage have turned their focus to a Wellington house.

The bashed, trussed up body of 38-year-old Aucklander, Dean Browne was found at a Drake St property on Friday night, but police believed he was killed elsewhere.

Palmerston North man Karl Te Angiotu Nuku, 18, and Aucklander Mikhail Rafael Pandey-Johnson, 23, have been jointly charged with Mr Browne's murder and illegal possession of a firearm, while a third man, Rhys Fournier, 22, is charged with aiding Nuku and Pandey-Johnson to avoid arrest, illegal possession of a firearm, and drugs charges.

Police said that a house in Wellington's Oriental Bay was now being treated as a "potential crime scene".

"As a result of information received from members of the public we can now confirm that the three accused and the victim had been living together in Wellington for the past three weeks," inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward said.

Traces of blood had been found at the house and police were trying to ascertain whether the murder took place there.

"We are slowly but surely piecing the puzzle together," he told the Taranaki Daily News.

Mr Browne had a severe blow to his head when found tied up and abandoned in the garage.

Mr Coward said earlier a woman who lives at the New Plymouth home in question had a "loose connection" to one of the accused.

Police have also been focussing their investigation on the movements of a white four-door Toyota Corolla which was believed to have transported Mr Browne's body to New Plymouth.

Police had not ruled out a drug connection over the slaying of Mr Browne, believed to have been a P user, but was not gang-related.

Mr Browne had been on the run from Auckland police since October last year.

- NZPA