Te Hiko pleads not guilty to teacher murder

Whetu Te Hiko at court in July. Picture / Alan Gibson

UPDATE - The man accused of murdering schoolteacher Lois Dear has denied the killing.

Whetu Te Hiko, 23, was committed for trial in a depositions hearing at Tokoroa District Court this morning, after pleading not guilty to murdering the 66-year-old teacher in her Strathmore School classroom on July 16.

It was the first time Te Hiko had made a plea to the charge and he did so through his lawyer, Harry Edward, who acknowledged there was a prima facie case to answer.

Members of Ms Dear's family were present for the hearing, seeing Te Hiko in person for the first time.

Te Hiko kept his back to the public gallery and his head down as he was escorted into the courtroom amid heavy security.

He was surrounded by three uniformed police and two in plain clothes, while two security officers stood at the courtroom door.

Friends and relatives of Ms Dear, including her son Kevin McNeil and brother Harley Dear, sat in two rows behind the dock.

They were silent during the hearing, which was adjourned for 10 minutes when Mr Edward asked for time in chambers with two Justices of the Peace presiding.

Te Hiko was led out for the adjournment and was also silent during the five-minute hearing which followed.

Mr Edward told JPs Bruce Nairn and Rob Nicholas: "It's conceded that a case to answer has been made by the Crown".

He approached Te Hiko in the dock when the charge against him was read out and responded on Te Hiko's behalf.

"The defendant maintains his plea of not guilty through counsel," Mr Edward said.

Mr Nairn committed Te Hiko for trial at the High Court at Rotorua and remanded him in custody for a callover on October 12 at 9am.

Te Hiko raised his head for the only time during the hearing at that point, looking at Mr Nairn and nodding.

He did not look at his uncle, Bunny Te Hiko, and a woman seated with him on the opposite side of the court from Ms Dear's family.

Ms Dear's son, Kevin McNeil, shook hands with Mr Te Hiko as they left the courtroom.

It was the first time the two families had met and Mr McNeil told the Herald outside court that he had no grudge against Te Hiko's family.

"We can't blame all of his family for what happened."

Mr Te Hiko said it was "awesome" that Mr McNeil had made the gesture but it did not make his position easier.

"Nothing will ever make me feel better about that," he said.

Mr McNeil said he felt "quite comfortable" seeing Te Hiko, despite saying last week he was not sure how he would react.

Ms Dear's brother, Harley Dear, said he found it hard.

"I just felt a bit creepy about the whole thing," he said outside court.

Asked if he had been able to get a good look at Te Hiko, he said: "I don't think I really wanted to."

No evidence was heard at the hearing.

Instead, it was handed up in written form and media applications to read the papers were declined.

Fletcher Pilditch, representing police, said the prosecution and defence had only received the evidence today so the court was not in a position to grant media access.

A judge is expected to make a ruling on allowing journalists access before Te Hiko's callover at the High Court.

Ms Dear's family have seen the evidence and Mr McNeil said it was horrific.