Friends of slain man face accused killers in court

Lee McMurdo. Photo / Supplied

Thirteen months after Helensville man Lee McMurdo was killed, his friends were in court yesterday to face the men charged with his murder.

Scaffolder Andrew Parry Nicholson, 24, was charged alongside a 27-year-old man, whose name is suppressed, with murdering Mr McMurdo on July 27 last year and stealing a Mitsubishi car police believe is linked to the case.

The pair, both from west Auckland, are also facing serious drugs charges including conspiracy to supply and supply of methamphetamine.

A 21-year-old woman also appeared in court with the men, jointly charged with the 27-year-old on six methamphetamine-related charges.

Victoria Anne Jackson, known as Vikki, is not facing any charges relating to Mr McMurdo's death.

The North Shore District Court was packed with police who worked on the investigation into Mr McMurdo's death, and friends of the father of three.

Mr McMurdo's best friend, Shannan Foreman, a former New Zealand kickboxing champion, sat metres away from the accused men.

A community magistrate presided over the hearing and refused media applications to photograph any of the accused. She later banned the publication of any other photos of the three.

Defence lawyers argued that publishing photographs of the accused could prejudice their case.

The magistrate also granted the 27-year-old name suppression and said the reasons could not be published.

Jackson was remanded on conditional bail until September 4 and must report to a police station every day.

Nicholson and the 27-year-old will also reappear on September 4. Neither applied for bail and they were remanded in custody.