Five accused over Fleet deaths appear in court

Four people have appeared in the Rotorua District Court over the deaths of Raymond and James Fleet.

Mikaere James Hura, a 21-year-old undertaker from Rotorua, Martin Hone, 34, from Tokanui, and Zen Pulemoana, 25, from Rotorua have been charged with two counts of murder.

Richard Tuwhakakorongo Te Roroa Te Kani, 28, from Mamaku, faces a range of charges including two of manslaughter and of threatening to kill.

Te Kani is also charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact of murder of James Fleet and Raymond Fleet by moving and trying to conceal a corpse to help Pulemoana, Hone and Hura avoid arrest.

None of the four entered pleas and Judge Greg Hollister-Jones remanded them in custody to reappear in the High Court on October 25.

There was a strong police presence in the public gallery and members of the Fleet family were in court and hugged each other outside the courtroom after the men's appearances.

Judge Hollister-Jones declined media applications to take photos.

A fifth man also appeared in the Whakatane District Court, charged with being a party to manufacture methamphetamine.

He was given name suppression, granted bail and also remanded to appear in the High Court on October 25.

The victims, an uncle and nephew aged 51 and 25, were reported missing on August 10. A double homicide investigation was launched after their bodies were found in Mamaku Forest on August 17.

THE CHARGES:

Mikaere James Hura, 21, undertaker, from Rotorua
• Murdered Raymond Fleet, with Hone and Pulemoana, on August 7
• Murdered James Fleet, with Hone and Pulemoana, on August 7
• Possession of materials to manufacture methamphetamine on August 7
• Possession of precursors to manufacture methamphetamine on August 7
• Possession of equipment used to manufacture methamphetamine on August 7
• Jointly with Pulemoana and another was party to manufacturing methamphetamine between August 2 and 7.

Martin Hone, 34, from Tokanui
• Murdered Raymond Fleet, with Pulemoana and Hura, on August 7
• Murdered James Fleet, with Pulemoana and Hura, on August 7
• With Te Kani threatened to kill another man on August 7
• With Te Kani threatened to kill Raymond Fleet on August 7
• With Te Kani manufactured methamphetamine between August 2 and 6

Zen Pulemoana, 25, from Rotorua
• Murdered Raymond Fleet, with Hone and Hura, on August 7
• Murdered James Fleet, with Hone and Hura, on August 7
• With Hura and another man was party to manufacture methamphetamine between August 2 and August 6

Richard Tuwhakakorongo Te Roroa Te Kani, 28, from Mamaku
• Manslaughter of Raymond Fleet on August 7
• Manslaughter of James Fleet on August 7
• Accessory after the fact of murder of James Fleet by assisting Pulemoana, Hura and Hone by moving and attempting to conceal a corpse to help those people avoid arrest on August 7.
• Accessory after the fact of murder of Raymond Fleet by helping Pulemoana, Hura and Hone by moving and attempting to conceal a corpse to help those people avoid arrest on August 7.
• Jointly with Hone by threatening to kill another man on August 7
• Jointly with Hone threatened to kill Raymond Fleet
• With Hone and and another person manufactured methamphetamine between August 2 and 6