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Two men accused of leaving a person critically injured on a highway near the northern edge of Auckland have appeared in court together for the first time on a joint charge of murder.
The 42-year-old Glen Eden resident and the 31-year-old from Whangārei, who have both been describedby police as having links to the Head Hunters gang, were allowed to retain interim name suppression today as they stood before Justice David Johnstone in the High Court at Auckland.
Samuel Curle, 36, was found on the Kaipara Coast Highway near Helensville in the middle of the night on November 6 last year.
A person was critically injured following an alleged assault at the intersection of Salesyard St and Kaipara Coast Highway in Helensville. Photo / Hayden Woodward
He died in hospital after just under three weeks in a coma, and both defendants were charged with murder on December 19.
Police indicated at the time of their arrests that they were not yet sure of the exact circumstances of Curle’s death.
Defence lawyers Steven Lack and Adam Holland entered not guilty pleas on their client’s behalf today as the defendants stood in the dock and a large crowd sat in the courtroom gallery for the brief hearing.
Samuel Curle, 36, was found on Auckland's Kaipara Coast Highway in the middle of the night on November 6. He died 20 days later.
Justice Johnstone set a trial date for September 2025 and ordered a name suppression hearing for one of the men to be held in March.
Today marked the first time the two defendants appeared together on the charge.
After their arrests last month, the 31-year-old initially appeared in Whangārei District Court, while the 42-year-old appeared at Waitākere District Court. Both remain in custody.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
