Teen charged with murder

The teenager appeared in the Whangarei Youth Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until later this month.

A 16-year-old male has been arrested and charged with the murder of Whangarei man Michael Patrick Griffin.

The teenager appeared in the Whangarei Youth Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until later this month. Judge Greg Davis said that when the Whangarei teenager appeared on October 23 it would be in the High Court.

Investigation head Detective Inspector Kevin Burke said the arrest yesterday morning came about through information supplied by the Whangarei community and good police work.

"Although an arrest has been made, the investigation is still far from over," Mr Burke said.

Mr Griffin was found at the rear of his Second Ave home with serious head injuries on Sunday about 8am. He was taken to Whangarei Hospital by ambulance but died.

A post-mortem examination found the father of three adult sons was killed by a severe blunt-force blow to the head.

Mr Griffin had been working on alterations to a garage at the rear of his house, where he lived alone, when friends found him seriously injured.

It is not known when the assault happened, but police believe it was early on Sunday.

A team of police and specialists continued to examine the Second Ave property and expected to complete that today.

Mr Burke urged residents in the avenues area to check their backyards for "foreign objects" as officers searched for a weapon believed to have been used. He said the weapon could include, but was not limited to, a hammer, a lump of steel or a piece of wood.

Mr Burke also urged people to come forward if they had discovered a piece of clothing on their property during the last few days.

Mr Griffin's family and the investigation team appreciated the help from the Whangarei community.

They still urged anyone who had information to contact officers on 09 430 4500 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.