The 17-year-old was charged with murder and aggravated robbery following the death on an Indian national in Hawke's Bay in December last year. Photo/File.
One of two teenagers charged with murdering a man found on a rural Hawke's Bay roadside last year has pleaded guilty.
Shaun Liam Karauria, 17, appeared in the High Court at Napier this afternoon and pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated robbery.
He was charged following the death of Indian national Sandeep Dhiman, 30, whose body was found at Matahorua Rd near Tutira on December 18 last year.
The Napier teenager robbed the deceased of his vehicle and cellphone after causing grievous bodily harm to him.
His alleged co-offender, a second female teenager also aged 17, was also charged with murder and aggravated robbery in December last year.
Dhiman had been living in Napier at the time of his death and was due to visit his home in India last month to get married.
His parents were visiting another son in Australia when they got the news of his death, having last spoken to him about 6pm the night before.
His body was found on the rural roadside about 7km away from the junction with State Highway 2 by a tanker driver who could see into the roadside ditch from his elevated driving position.
Matahorua Rd is the route to the popular Shine Falls and a relatively quiet area, according to those in the area.
At the time a neighbouring farmer, who did not want to be publically identified, said the road had been typically calm the morning of December 18 until police sirens rang out in the rural area.
"It was a bit surreal really. I was at home by myself that night. I'd been up late watching TV and was up early that morning."
He was sure Dhiman would have been passed by numerous vehicles before he was found.
"The road it quiet enough but there's Shine Falls which gets quite busy at this time of the year and there's tankers and school buses."
That morning police set up forensic tents and conducted a scene examination before arresting and charging Karauria overnight.
Forensic work was also conducted at an Ahuriri toilet block next to the Bluewater Hotel later that week.
Eastern District Field Crime Manager Detective Inspector Mike Foster described the toilet block as "a place of interest".
The female teenager was arrested and charged on December 22.
Indian media reported Dhiman was an IT professional who shifted to New Zealand on a study visa in June 2015 and worked as a fibre technician for a leading company.
After he died, his body was taken home to Kharar and cremated.