Glen Eden hit and run: Man in court on murder, firearms charges, no bail

A man arrested on Wednesday after an hours-long manhunt following an alleged hit-and-run in Glen Eden, West Auckland has appeared in court.

Court documents show police have charged the man with murder using a car as a weapon, presenting a firearm, failing to stop to ascertain injury and threatening to kill.

The pedestrian, who has not been named, died at the scene at about noon in Glendale Rd near Glenmall after they were allegedly struck by a black Holden.

Police charging documents viewed by the Herald show he is a 27-year-old Auckland man. His name and identifying details are suppressed.

He did not seek bail in his brief first appearance in the Waitakere District Court on Thursday. The man was remanded in custody by Judge Andree Wiltens until his next appearance in the Auckland High Court. He did not enter a plea.

His lawyer, Adam Couchman, sought and was granted interim name suppression for his client.

The man, who appeared via audio-visual link from a police station, called out “I love you” to supporters in the public gallery.

Family of the man who died wept in court on the other side of the gallery.

Judge Wiltens declined an application by a television station to film the man during the appearance, even if his face were to be blurred.

“For the moment, we’re more interested in the defendant’s rights,” Judge Wiltens said.

In addition to the murder charge, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, he is accused of presenting a pistol at Kat McCormick, a witness who spoke to the Herald on Wednesday just after the incident.

She described following a black Holden and taking down its details before a firearm was allegedly waved out the window.

The man also faces a charge of threatening to kill another person, who is not McCormick or the dead man.

He is facing a fourth charge for failing to stop to ascertain injury, carrying the possibility of five years in prison if found guilty.

There were emotional scenes on Wednesday at the cordon as the man’s body lay under a white sheet.

A couple of hours after the death, as police began inquiries, a woman made her way through the cordon and collapsed in tears when she spoke to officers next to the body.

Police have cordoned off the Glenmall shopping street in Glen Eden, west Auckland after an altercation in a carpark. Photo / Supplied

Local man Marc Rainbow rushed to the victim after being told what happened and seeing them on the ground.

“It’s all a bit surreal. I just did what I did.”

Rainbow spent “about four or five” minutes performing CPR and chest compressions.

Nurses hurried from the nearby Westview Medical Centre to come to the victim’s aid, Rainbow said.

“It felt as if I was doing the chest compressions forever. I had to get the nurses to come in and take over a couple of times,” Rainbow said.

Police responding to altercation in Glen Eden where a man is believed to have been killed in a hit-and-run. Photo / Michael Craig

He continued until a doctor arrived.

The 27-year-old will reappear in the Auckland High Court on December 14.