James Ingle was well known in the Manawatu music community. Photo / Up the Punks TV
A man whose body was found after a house fire in Levin was a well-known punk rock musician in the town.
James Ingle was known as a man who could play any instrument he picked up and was the "loveliest bloke" according to a former bandmate.
Yesterday Ingle was found dead in his home in Levin, with police initially reporting that he'd been killed in a house fire.
However, today charges of murder and arson were filed against a man in the Levin District Court.
The defendant, who has interim name suppression, stood in the dock wearing a police-issue singlet and flanked by three police officers.
Eight members of Ingle's family sat in the public gallery to witness his appearance.
Grant Baker, the singer of the band Filthy Business, said they'd had a reunion recently and had only spoken to bass player James Ingle last week.
"He was the loveliest bloke – always willing to help, always willing to share. He was very humble and quick with a compliment," he said.
Baker paid tribute to Ingle's musicianship.
"He could play any instrument, from piano to drums, and would only need to hear a song once to be able to play it.
"He was left-handed, so would play the bass guitar and six-string guitar upside down."
This morning police were still at the scene and fire investigators were going through the property on Queenwood Rd in Levin.
The fire appears to have been started in the living room and the charred remains of a dining room table could be seen clearly from the street.
Yesterday police said Ingle's vehicle had been located but were still keen on hearing from anyone who saw a black Toyota Fielder station wagon travelling between Levin and Foxton or Paraparaumu in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
"A pair of grey Nike shorts are believed to have been thrown from the car while it was driving, and police would like to locate these," their statement said.
He was a founding member of No Idea, a three-piece punk band founded in Levin in the 1980s before basing themselves in Christchurch, then Melbourne, where they broke up.
Ingle, who in recent times was a devout Christian who mowed the lawns each week at his local church, was a popular figure in entertainment circles with a talent for any instrument he picked up.
Back in Levin, he went on to to form the cult pub band Filthy Business in the mid-90s, who released a cassette album of 10 classic originals, like Jim Beam Blues, Brain Teaser and Void of Feeling.
The accused was remanded in custody to reappear in the Palmerston North High Court next month.
A lot of Ingle's early work with No Idea could be looked at as a contradiction. It layered the raw energy of punk rock with song lyrics that were at times anti-racism, anti-violence and very politically aware - one song titled I Hate Hate.
Baker said it was tough learning of the circumstances under which Ingle had died.
"It's sad. I thought he must have fallen asleep on the couch," he said.
Police are appealing for more information.