The men from Papatoetoe and Mangere were charged with murder after the October 20 fire in Cockle Bay near Howick. "The ultimate issue in the trial is cause of death," defence lawyer Shane Tait told the High Court in Auckland today. Tait said there was "a grinding halt in the preparation of the case" and an overseas expert would likely be required. A medical certificate was presented for the second man to support his case for name suppression. Justice Sally Fitzgerald told Tait and the other defence lawyer, Jonathan Hudson, she wasn't inclined to keep granting interim name suppression without compelling reasons.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 30, 2021 20:48 UTC