'They took my son', mother's heartache after accused appear in court over alleged historic kidnapping

The three accused entered not guilty pleas when they appeared in the Hamilton District Court this morning. Photo / Belinda Feek

Emotions ran high outside a Hamilton District Court after three people appeared on historic assault and kidnapping charges.

A Hamilton woman, 24, a Hamilton man, 60, and a Waihi woman, 45, all entered not guilty pleas to charges of kidnapping and injuring with intent in relation to the death of Joshua Terrey on December 1, 2019.

Terrey's body was found in a garden at the Western Community Centre in the Hamilton suburb of Nawton.

Today, the three accused appeared before Judge Robert Spear where, through their respective counsel, they entered not guilty pleas.

Supporters of both the accused and members of Terrey's family watched on in the public gallery.

A member of Terrey's family muttered, "they took my son", as the accused stood before the judge.

Kerry Burroughs, counsel for the Hamilton woman, successfully argued for interim name suppression based on reports of the trio's arrest.

Judge Spear entered the pleas and remanded the trio off on bail to reappear in June for a case review hearing.

The two parties bumped into each other as they left the courtroom and the court itself, with words being exchanged.

A family member of Terrey told Open Justice he was a much-loved father of three who had been in Hamilton visiting his son when he went missing.