Supporters and police clash as murder-accused teens appear
Supporters of two teenagers charged with murder after an incident in Beach Haven clashed with police and court security on Monday.
The boys, aged 17 and 14, were arrested in the Far North on Saturday and charged with the murder of 28-year-old Joshuah Tasi.
The two teenagers appeared in the North Shore Youth Court on Monday.
A large group of whānau gathered at the court to support them – but only a small number were allowed into the courtroom, leading to a shouting match between supporters and police.
One supporter could be heard yelling: ‘‘Get your f...ing hands off me.’’
The accused duo appeared, one of them by audiovisual link, and the other in person, in front of Judge Kirsten Lummis.
No pleas were entered on their behalf.
Both were granted interim name suppression.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Tramway Rd and Beach Haven Rd, after a two-car crash at about 7pm on Friday.
Detective Inspector Callum Mcneill earlier said there had been an ‘‘altercation’’ between the occupants of two cars, and
Tasi had then been assaulted and suffered fatal injuries.
A black BMW sedan wanted in relation to the incident was found by police in Glenfield on Saturday, Mcneill said.
Earlier on Saturday, Stuff captured images of the black sedan, which was abandoned in the North Shore suburb of Glenfield.
The vehicle was towed from
its Roberts Rd resting place at 3pm after neighbours said they saw police arrive at about 7am.
A Beach Haven resident, who Stuff has chosen not to name, lives near where Tasi died and was quickly on the scene.
‘‘Nothing in life really prepares you for something like this,’’ the resident said. He said he and others tried to save Tasi, but they weren’t able to.
A large group of whānau of the accused teenagers gathered at the court on Monday to support them.
The older teenager was remanded in custody while the 14-year-old would be staying in a youth residence facility.
The two teenagers will next appear in the High Court in Auckland on March 22.