Alan Hall was wrongfully convicted of murder and will receive a record $5 million in compensation and an apology after spending more than 18 years in prison.
Video / NZ Herald
Three men charged with obstructing or perverting the course of justice in the wrongful conviction of Alan Hall nearly 40 years ago have appeared in the Auckland High Court.
The three men appeared before Justice Mathew Downs on Wednesday morning, who recorded their not guilty pleas and set a trial date of February 23, 2026.
Their occupations and names remain suppressed.
They are each charged with wilfully attempting to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice during the investigation and prosecution of Hall for the murder of Arthur Easton in the 1980s.
At their first appearance in the Manukau District Court in September they received interim name suppression following applications by their lawyers David Jones KC, Paul Wicks KC and Fletcher Pilditch KC.
The two defendants represented by Jones and Wicks sat together in the dock during the brief hearing while Pilditch’s client appeared remotely via video-link. They had several supporters present in court.
A hearing for determination of their applications for ongoing interim name suppression was set for March 19.
The KCs representing the men indicated they wanted their clients’ occupations to remain suppressed until at least the hearings next year along with their names.
Justice Downs agreed the occupations represent an identifying detail.
John Billington KC, representing the Crown, did not oppose interim suppression of their names and occupations.
The trio was remanded on bail ahead of a case review hearing in February next year with continuing suppression of names and occupations.
Hall was convicted of murdering Easton in his Papakura home 39 years ago. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2022 and received a record payout for a wrongfully convicted person in New Zealand - $5m.
Alan Hall's murder conviction was overturned in 2022 after 37 years and an investigation was launched into his wrongful conviction. He since received $5m in compensation. Photo / Greg Bowker
Easton and his two teenage sons were attacked in October 1985 by a bayonet-wielding home invader.
Easton was stabbed in his liver and died of blood loss after emergency services arrived on the scene.
The murder weapon and a woolly hat were all that was left at the scene by the alleged murderer, described as a tall, broad Māori man.
Alan Hall, who was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, came to police attention two months later because he owned a bayonet and beanie similar to the ones found at the scene, and was walking in the area at the time of the attack.
Extensive police questioning of Hall ensued and he was charged with murder.
The attacker’s description and key witness statements from a man in the area at the time were allegedly concealed by police, and in 1986 a jury found Hall guilty.
In 2022, Hall had his conviction quashed by the Supreme Court, which determined key evidence at his trial was “materially altered”.
The next year the Government agreed to a $4,933,725.75 payout as compensation for Hall’s time in prison.
After the compensation was settled, four further separate investigations were ongoing including two by police to establish whether anyone in the organisation committed an offence by altering evidence and one by the Solicitor-General in relation to the Crown’s role in the significantly botched prosecution.
In August, police announced they were laying charges against the trio and had executed search warrants and served the men summons.
“Three men have been summonsed and will be charged for what police will allege was their role in the conviction of Mr Hall for murder,” said Police Assistant Commissioner (Investigations) Paul Basham.
