Epsom motel death: Accused took questions on social media

Beauen Wallace-Loretz. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Teenage murder accused Beauen Wallace-Loretz has set up a social media profile to answer questions about his alleged role in an Epsom motel death, claiming online: "I ain't no killer".

The 17-year-old has been on electronically-monitored bail awaiting trial over the death of Ihaia Gillman-Harris, 54, on December 27 last year.

He allegedly cut his monitoring bracelet off on Thursday night and left the Avondale address he had been bailed to. But he was arrested at an Auckland house yesterday after police received a tip-off by phone.

The Herald can reveal that in February, soon after he was granted bail, Wallace-Loretz set up a social media profile so he could defend himself.

Over the past month, Wallace-Loretz has responded to questions online about Mr Gillman-Harris' death.

He answered more than 140 questions within a few days of setting up the page, mostly about his arrest and the murder charge.

"I ain't no killer," he said to one of the early questions.

Wallace-Loretz will appear in the High Court at Auckland this morning, likely facing a fresh charge of breaching bail. Whether he should be re-released on bail will be argued at today's hearing.