Auckland Southwestern Motorway death: Kidnap accused Jovan Pora pleads not guilty

Another courtroom gallery was again full to capacity today as an Auckland man accused of a fatal Boxing Day kidnapping appeared in the High Court at Auckland for the first time.

Jovan Aroha Zachariah Pora, 20, stood in the dock wearing a white dress shirt as defence lawyer Vivienne Feyen pleaded not guilty on his behalf to charges of manslaughter, kidnapping, refusing an officer’s request to give blood and driving while unlicensed.

Many supporters waved as he was escorted from the courtroom.

“We love you so much,” one family member said.

Meanwhile, the family of the 19-year-old who died sat on the opposite side of the courtroom, many wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with her image. The teen’s identity remains suppressed until at least May, when the case will be called again.

Today’s hearing was brief, its duration shorter than the minutes it took for courthouse security to escort the two groups out of the courtroom separately.

Pora was arrested on December 26 after police found a crashed car and the dead teen when they were called to State Highway 20 around 3.20am.

The vehicle had come to a stop facing the wrong way on the motorway. It had moderate damage to the front, a witness said at the time.

Kidnap accused Jovan Pora appears in Manukau District Court for a hearing last month. Photo / Dean Purcell

Court documents state Pora is accused of having “caused the death ... by threats or fear of violence to open the door of a moving vehicle”.

If convicted of kidnapping, he could face up to 14 years’ imprisonment. Manslaughter is punishable by life imprisonment.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald set a trial date for May 2024 and remanded Pora back into custody.

Today’s hearing followed a similarly brief but tense appearance last month in Manukau District Court, during which security swarmed in and separated the two families. Yelling in the courtroom spilt out into the hallway, with some people being held back.

“Love you, son!” one woman had yelled in the courtroom, prompting others to start yelling, “Murderer!”