Maketū toddler murder accused seeks two separate jury trials

Nevaeh Ager, 2, died at Little Waihi near Maketu on March 21. Photo / Supplied

The man accused of murdering Maketū toddler Nevaeh Ager is seeking to be tried on a raft of other charges separately from his murder trial.

The Bay of Plenty man faced a murder charge in the Tauranga High Court today when he briefly appeared in court via an audiovisual link from prison.

The murder charge was laid by police after the 2-year-old's body was found on tidal flats at Little Waihi on March 21.

The man, who has interim name suppression, has also denied nine other charges.

These relate to alleged assaults against police officers, possession of an offensive weapon, resisting a police constable, common assault and wounding with intent to cause bodily harm, and wounding with intent to injure.

These charges relate to alleged separate offending earlier this year.

The defendant's lawyer Nicholas Chisnall told Justice Graham Laing that his client was seeking to have the murder charge and two of the nine other charges heard separately.

Crown solicitor Anna Pollett opposed the severance application.

She said the Crown wanted to have all the charges joined and heard together at the accused's murder trial set down to begin in the Rotorua High Court on October 19, 2020.

Justice Graham Lang scheduled a pre-trial hearing in the Hamilton High Court on March 2 for legal arguments to be heard in relation to severance application.

The defendant was further remanded in custody.