Experts to be called in hearing

CAMERON BURNELL

From left: Mikhail Pandey-Johnson, Karl Nuku and Rhys Fournier.

Relevant offers

Expert witnesses are to be called in a pre-trial hearing of three men charged with the murder of a man found dumped in a New Plymouth suburban garage.

Rhys Fournier, 23, of Auckland, Karl Nuku, 18, of Palmerston North, and Mikhail Pandey-Johnson, 24, of Waitakere, have been remanded in custody since the body of Auckland man Dean Stuart Browne, 38, was found in a Drake St garage on January 22.

The body was gagged, bound and wrapped in bedding.

The three men allegedly led armed police on a chase around the city before being arrested.

They have since denied a raft of charges including murder, interfering with human remains, conversion of a motor vehicle, drugs and firearms charges.

Police said at the time that they believed Mr Browne was killed at an Oriental Bay, Wellington flat and taken to New Plymouth.

Yesterday, the three men appeared in the New Plymouth District Court at an oral application hearing for both the Crown and defence.

Judge Allan Roberts ruled that a committal hearing would be held to hear Crown expert witnesses on November 8.

It is likely that further witnesses will be called to give evidence.

The Crown is to call two expert witnesses, pathologist John David Rutherford and hand-writing expert, Delwyne Walsh.

The oral committal hearing will be the first in Taranaki since the elimination 14 months ago of depositions from the trial process.

Depositions were mostly held in open courts to determine if a prima facie case was proven.

Since June 29 depositions have been replaced by a committal process most of which are carried out administratively. However, committal oral evidence hearings can still be called.

- © Fairfax NZ News