Name suppression lifted in Napier High Court for teen murder accused

The man's body was found in a shallow ditch on Matahorua Road, Tutira, on December 18 last year. Photo/File

One of two teenagers charged with murdering a man whose body was found at Matahorua Rd near Tutira on December 18 last year had name suppression lifted at the Napier High Court this morning.

Shaun Liam Karauria, 17, and another teenager were jointly charged with murder on December 23 last year, but name suppression was only lifted for Karauria.

The court also lifted name suppression for the victim, Sandeep Dhiman, aged 30.

The teens appeared in court this morning, where Justice David Collins appeared via video-link and lifted the suppressions, but counsel for the other teenager involved asked that their name suppression be continued until at least February 7.

At that time an application for bail for the unidentified, female teenage, also aged 17, would be heard in the Napier High Court.

Mr Dhiman's body was understood to have been found on the rural roadside about seven kilometres away from the junction with State Highway 2 by a tanker driver, who could see into the roadside ditch from their elevated driving position.

As well as murder, the teenagers were charged with robbing Dhiman's car and two cellphones, immediately after causing him grievous bodily harm.

Justice Collins set down the trial date for November 19, for which two weeks were allocated.