Whakatāne murder: Three men accused of killing Mark Hohua appear in court, fourth arrest made

The three men accused of murdering Whakatāne man Mark Hohua have appeared in court. Photo / NZME

Police have arrested a fourth man for the alleged murder of 48-year-old Mark Hohua in Whakatāne.

In a statement tonight they said the 43-year-old was due to appear in the Tauranga District Court on Thursday on a murder charge.

It comes as three other men accused of murdering Hohua in June can now be named.

Dean Nga-Rangikatuhi Collier, Te-Patu Kino Mokai Kereru Biddle, and Heremaia Gage appeared in the High Court at Tauranga on Wednesday, where their interim name suppression lapsed.

The trio are accused of murdering Hohua on June 18. He was airlifted to Waikato Hospital but died from his injuries the following day.

The circumstances of the alleged murder are not yet clear.

All three men entered pleas of not guilty and did not seek an order for further name suppression.

It's understood that Hohua had connections to the Tribesmen gang. Video of his funeral procession in June was posted to social media, showing a large number of motorcycles in convoy.

A group of Hohua's whānau gathered in court on Wednesday.

The three accused are to next appear in court for a case review hearing on September 21.

A trial is set down for May 2024.