Beauen Wallace-Loretz (left) and Leonard Nattrass-Berquist are accused of murdering Ihaia Gillman-Harris in a motel room in Epsom.
Beauen Wallace-Loretz (left) and Leonard Nattrass-Berquist are accused of murdering Ihaia Gillman-Harris in a motel room in Epsom.
The trial has started for two teenagers charged with the murder of a 54-year-old man at a motel in Auckland in 2014.
Beauen Wallace-Loretz and Leonard Nattrass-Berquist, now both 18, appeared in the Auckland High Court this morning charged with the murder of Ihaia Gillman-Harris at an Epsom Motel onDecember 27, 2014.
The jury has been selected for the four-week trial and consists of three men and nine women.
The trial is before Justice Kit Toogood.
The two defendants were both 17 years old at the time of the alleged crime, which took place at the Ascot Epsom Motel, and have this morning both pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.
Police say Mr Gillman-Harris was beaten in a room at the motel and later died at Auckland City Hospital.
Wallace-Loretz and Nattrass-Berquist also pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the theft of cash, a cell phone and a bank card, as well as a charge related to the taking of a $15,000 Range Rover.
A four week trial was originally set for November last year, but was adjourned until April 4.
