14-year-old among three charged with murder

Three teenage boys have appeared in court charged with the murder of Donald Alfred Stewart whose body was found in a Hamilton street nearly two weeks ago.

The trio, aged 14, 15 and 17, appeared in the Youth and District Courts in Hamilton yesterday.

Mr Stewart, 74, was found dead near a public toilet in London St about 6am on June 27. A pathologist reported that he had died from a blow to the head.

After two separate youth court hearings, the 14- and 15-year-olds were remanded in a residential care facility until Wednesday.

The unemployed 17-year-old will also be reappearing before the court on Wednesday.

All three will apply for bail.

Hamilton police said they would like to hear from a Good Samaritan who gave a group of people a ride into town from Collins Rd, on the outskirts of Hamilton where Mr Stewart's car was seen, shortly before 7am on June 27.

It is unclear if this group were the boys who have been charged with Mr Stewart's murder.

When police went to recover Mr Stewart's white Peugeot the following day it had been removed.

It was found stripped three days later in an Auckland car wrecker's yard.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Greene said responses to requests for sightings of Mr Stewart's car were significant in providing valuable information that helped the inquiry.