Pt England gang shooting: Judge sets trial date for four men accused of murdering Charles Pongi

Police investigate the scene of a disorder event resulting in the death of at least one person at the Taurima Reserve in Point England. Inset victim Charles Pongi. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Four men who are jointly accused of participating in the murder of Charles Pongi four months ago - allegedly targeting him as dozens of rival gang members faced off in an Auckland park - have appeared in court together for the first time.

The men, all of whom continue to have interim name suppression, appeared alongside a fifth man accused of non-homicide firearms offences as they filed into the dock inside the High Court at Auckland’s largest courtroom today.

Dozens of people filled the gallery of the courtroom for the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

“I want to welcome to the court those here on behalf of Mr Pongi and those here on behalf of any of the defendants,” Justice Mathew Downs told the courtroom visitors as the hearing began. “I remind everyone that the hearing will be conducted in silence.”

Downs accepted not guilty pleas from each of the defendants’ lawyers and set a trial date for August 2025.

“I regret that is the first available date,” he said of the 20-month wait.

A hearing to determine if name suppression will lapse or continue until trial was set down for March next year.

Pongi, 32, was fatally shot on August 5, amid what is alleged to have been a planned brawl at Taurima Reserve in Pt England involving members of the Head Hunters, Rebels MC and their associates. Pongi, who was a patched member of the Head Hunters, was able to drive himself to Auckland City Hospital but did not survive the wound.

Members of the Head Hunters gather for the funeral of Charles Pongi.

Police investigated the death for more than three months before making their first two arrests on November 15 - a 24-year old man from Mount Albert charged with murder and a 26-year-old Weymouth resident charged with discharging a firearm with intent to intimidate and unlawful possession with a firearm.

Two more men were charged with murder on November 17: a 20-year-old Avondale resident and a 24-year-old man from Favona.

The final arrest was made on November 21, when a 26-year-old Ōtāhuhu resident was charged with murder.

Each of the men appeared in district court after they were charged, but today marked their first time in the High Court at Auckland and the first time they appeared together as co-defednants.

The men waved into the courtroom gallery, with some blowing kisses to supporters, as they were led out of the courtroom today to continue awaiting trial in custody.

Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.