Accused in custody

The man charged with the murder of Tawa mother-of-two Amanda Dawn Taufale has been remanded in custody after appearing in Porirua District Court on Friday.

The body of Ms Taufale, 33, was discovered at her Sunrise Boulevard home by family members at 8am on Thursday.

Police arrested her boyfriend Ernest Smith in Makara at 9pm the same day.

The 38-year-old, from the West Indies, entered no plea when he appeared in court on Friday and was remanded in custody until December 7.

The court has ordered a psychiatric report on Smith, police spokesman Nick Bohm said.

Ms Taufale had two sons, a 6-month-old with Smith, and a 15-year-old. The manner of her death is yet to be released by police.

Trains on the Kapiti line were stopped on Thursday morning while police investigated Smith’s car, which was parked at Takapu Rd station car park.

Police are appealing for information from anybody who saw a late model dark blue Toyota hatchback, registration GMB108, in the Tawa area before the murder.

A second vehicle is being sought by police. It is a teal green or blue 1994 Mazda Lantis hatchback with a red driver’s door, registration BDS894.

Seventy people were canvassed for information by police on Friday morning at Takapu Rd station.