Tempers fray as pair appear in court
Feelings were running high for court appearances by two men charged with the murder of 24-year-old Bradley Lomax, whose body was found on the Waimakariri riverbed a week ago.
Extra police were in the Christchurch District Court for the brief appearances by the pair yesterday, but there were verbal exchanges that led Judge Raoul Neave to shout for people to ‘‘be quiet’’.
The men were remanded in custody for an appearance in the High Court on September 29.
Defence counsel Josh Lucas asked interim name suppression for the 30-year-old accused. He said police did not oppose the order being made because the investigation was continuing. He also said the man had not yet had a chance to tell his relatives what was happening.
Judge Neave made the order, which he said could be argued at the High Court appearance.
As the first man was led back into custody, a woman in the pub- lic seating said quietly: ‘‘May Bradley have justice on your soul.’’
Judge Neave said: ‘‘Keep quiet or he won’t be the only one going through the door to the cells.’’
The other man, Kasha William Gosset, a 35-year-old landscape gar- dener from Oxford, did not seek any suppression order.
‘‘Why are you smiling?’’ asked a man in the public gallery when Gosset appeared.
The face-off and comments continued while he made his brief appearance, and police ushered people out of the public seats as soon as he was remanded.
Lomax, a member of the Rebels motorcycle gang and the father of a boy, was found by a group of fourwheel-drivers on September 4.
Thirty detectives worked on the week-long investigation that led to the pair being arrested on Monday, the same day about 300 people attended Lomax’s funeral at St Columba’s Anglican Church in Hornby.
The men entered no pleas to the joint charges of murdering Lomax at Kaiapoi on September 4.
Meanwhile, police were examining two properties in North Canterbury in connection with the alleged murder.
A neighbour of one of the properties, on Rangiora’s Seddon St, said police arrived about 1pm Monday.
Police are also guarding a home on Rata St, Oxford.
A mobile police base is parked outside, with armed police officers parked across the road.
Forensics staff can be seen inside the home.
A neighbour said she did not know who lived there.