A man appeared in the High Court at Rotorua today and pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kawerau mother Korrey Whyman.
The man can’t be named for legal reasons and Justice Neil Campbell has granted him interim name suppression.
The man, who appeared in court via audio-visual link, enterednot guilty pleas through his lawyer, Andy Hill, to three charges including murder and two charges of discharging a firearm with reckless disregard in relation to other people as part of the same incident.
All three charges relate to alleged offending on September 25 in Rotorua.
Justice Campbell remanded the man in custody to reappear in the High Court at 9am on September 15.
He will appear alongside co-accused Credence Paripari Malcolm, 30, from Rotoiti, who appeared in court at an earlier date, also facing three charges including murder.
Crown Solicitor Amanda Gordon said there were expected to be more defendants to come but she still estimated the trial would take five weeks. Justice Campbell set the trial date for April 8 next year.
Police examine a ute outside The Happy Angler Store & Takeaway after Korrey Whyman was found shot. Photo / Ben Fraser
Whyman, from Kawerau, was shot inside a vehicle as it travelled on State Highway 33 towards Mourea early on the morning of September 25.
