Tristan Oakes death: Third man charged with Te Puke murder appears in Tauranga court

Tristan Oakes, 29, died the day after being found with a gunshot wound at his Te Puke home.

The third man charged with the murder of 29-year-old Te Puke father Tristan Oakes has appeared in court.

Te Waiari Kapereira Mana Watson, 24, appeared in the Tauranga District Court yesterday afternoon.

His two murder co-accused also appeared, with one of the other men charged with offences as part of the investigation into Oakes’ death.

All those charged are from Te Puke and none has yet entered a plea.

Police have said Oakes was found critically injured from a gunshot wound at his Te Puke home on October 25 and died in Tauranga Hospital the next day.

Police initially jointly charged 39-year-old rigger Kanan Clarke and 40-year-old Joseph Ernest Yorke with murdering Oakes.

The pair appeared via video link from prison before Judge Paul Geoghegan in court yesterday.

They faced three fresh joint charges, including burglary, kidnapping, and disfiguring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The latter two charges related to allegations that the pair unlawfully detained and disfigured another man in Te Puke between January 1 and March 17.

Watson appeared in court in person and is jointly accused of murder and burglary.

Billyboy William Whare, 30, also appeared jointly charged with burglary.

The charge relates to an allegation that he and others unlawfully entered an enclosed yard on Manoeka Rd in Te Puke on October 25.

His co-accused are Yorke, Clarke, Watson, a man who failed to appear in court, and another due to appear today.

Judge Geoghegan signed an arrest warrant for the man who failed to appear in court.

All accused who appeared were remanded in custody to reappear in the Tauranga High Court on November 19.

Some may appear sooner to apply for bail.