House bail appals family

A man accused of stabbing his neighbour - Whangarei man Nathan Matai Pukeroa - to death has been granted electronically-monitored bail, to the disgust of the victim's family.

Dustin Michael La Mont, 25, appeared in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday where his name suppression lapsed.

He is accused of the murder of 24-year-old Mr Pukeroa in Mt Albert last month.

There were dramatic scenes at that hearing when a woman dashed from the public gallery into the body of the court screaming obscenities.

She was dragged away by security while the defendant was briefly pulled back into the cells.

Yesterday's bail hearing was also punctuated by an impassioned outburst, this time by the victim's father.

When Justice Susan Thomas granted the defendant bail, the father stood up and shouted across the courtroom, saying: "He took my son out for nothing. He's a f***ing dog."

The terms of La Mont's bail were suppressed by Justice Thomas including the area, address, and names of those at the property. His trial was set for October and he will have another hearing in March.