A plea of “not guilty” is common at this stage, regardless of what the defence later does. Reiner, who remains in jail and has not been granted bail, was ordered to return to court on April 29. An arraignment would usually take place much sooner, but Reiner was unable to appear at the first scheduled attempt. Another hearing last month was halted after the court heard that lawyer Alan Jackson was no longer representing Reiner. Police arrested Nick Reiner several kilometres away from the scene of the crime later that night.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 23, 2026 20:00 UTC