Pair arrested during Tauranga homicide investigation appear in court

A pair charged during a police homicide investigation into the death of Mitchell Te Kani have appeared in court. Photo / NZME

Two people charged after the discovery of a body at a Tauranga property have appeared in court, but police are yet to lay a charge related to the homicide.

A man and a woman, both aged 40, appeared before Tauranga District Court Judge David Cameron this morning.The pair each face a single charge of aggravated burglary, which police say happened before the homicide.

The arrests were made on Tuesday as part of an ongoing police investigation into the death of 51-year-old Mitchell Te Kani.

Te Kani's body was discovered around 10.30pm on Saturday after officers were alerted to a large fight on Maungatapu Rd.

Police have confirmed they are yet to lay a charge relating to the death, and inquiries are ongoing.

In court on Wednesday, the 40-year-old man's lawyer Tony Rickard-Simms said it was likely his client would face "a more significant charge" once police had completed their investigation.

He also sought interim name suppression for the man while the investigation was ongoing. The application was supported by police and granted.

No application was made for bail and the man was remanded in custody until his next appearance on June 1.