Six men reappear in court relating to interfering with Jason Lines' remains

Six men reappeared in the Rotorua District Court today after being charged with interfering with a dead body.

Jason Lines died when his fishing dinghy capsized crossing the Bowentown Bar, south of Waihi Beach, on November 20. He was buried at a Rotorua urupa last week.

Two people survived the capsize and Lines' body washed ashore seven days later.

Maurice Ututaonga, 21, Tiger Ross, 17, Sebastien Wineera, 22, Rhys James Phillips, forest worker, 25, Ryan Rawiri Lingman, fencer, 25, and Shannon Shiloh Apirana, 28, all from Rotorua, appeared in the Rotorua District Court charged with improperly interfering with Lines' remains on December 2.

Apirana faces an additional charge of aggravated failing to stop.

Judge Greg Hollister-Jones granted Apirana bail to reappear on December 19 on several conditions, including he stay at his bail address between 7pm and 7am daily, he not consume drugs or alcohol, he not associate with the co-accused, he not wear gang regalia, he not be in the company of anyone wearing gang regalia and he not enter State Highway 30.

Ututaonga was remanded without plea on bail on the same conditions as Apirana to reappear on December 19.

Wineera's bail was declined and he was remanded without plea in custody until December 19.

Lingman applied for bail but he was remanded until December 19 to allow police to check the proposed bail address.

Ross and Phillips, who were granted bail after their first appearances on Monday, were remanded without plea on the same conditions as the others until December 19.

Two youths, aged 15 and 16 who can't be named for legal reasons, appeared in the Rotorua Youth Court jointly charged with the six men on Monday and would also appear on December 19.

Rotorua police area commander Inspector Anaru Pewhairangi said police were working alongside local iwi leaders "with a view to helping these young people with a better understanding of tikanga and kawa, and the impact of their alleged actions on the wider community".