Murder accused reappears in court

File photo / NZH

A Far North man charged with murdering an Auckland man whose body was discovered on a popular hiking track in Northland in February has reappeared in court.

The Kaeo man, whose name is suppressed, appeared in Kaikohe District Court charged with kidnapping and murdering Jack John Davis, whose body was discovered on February 25 in dense bush near the Wairakau Track in Totara North, 14km north of Kaeo.

He was remanded in custody and will reappear on the murder charge on May 2.

His name was first suppressed earlier this month after his lawyer Gary Gotlieb said "matters of a considerably complex nature" meant it should not be further publicised.

- NZPA