Name suppression for 47-year-old murder accused after body found in Brockville, Dunedin

The house in Brockville has been cordoned off by police. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A 47-year-old Dunedin man charged with murder has had his name suppressed so he can inform family about the allegation against him.

The defendant was arrested after the body of a 66-year-old man was discovered at a Brockville house yesterday morning.

Court documents allege the murder took place on Tuesday.

Police said the incident led to scene examinations at two separate Dunedin addresses yesterday.

The 47-year-old defendant appeared in Dunedin District Court this morning before Judge John Macdonald who granted him interim name suppression for 48 hours at the request of defence lawyer Anne Stevens.

She said her client had not been able to contact his elderly parents or an overseas family member.

The defendant was remanded in custody by consent and is set to appear in the High Court at Dunedin next month.

Police said they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident but inquiries were continuing.

A post-mortem examination was expected to start today.

A house in Brockville Rd was cordoned off yesterday and police were talking to an upset neighbour, who was being consoled by another man.

The house is owned by Housing New Zealand.

The Otago Daily Times saw police remove firearms from a house across the road from the cordoned-off property.

Police did not respond to questions on why the firearms were taken from the house.

A police spokeswoman declined to comment on whether armed police surrounding a black people-mover vehicle on Moray Place, in central Dunedin, before noon yesterday was related to the alleged murder.

However, she did say it was related to an incident in Dunedin earlier in the day.

Inspector Jason Guthrie said nobody was arrested in Moray Place yesterday but two men agreed to accompany police to the Dunedin Central Police Station to assist with inquiries.