William Sio appears in the Rotorua District Court. Photo / Stephen Parker
William Sio appears in the Rotorua District Court. Photo / Stephen Parker
The alleged murderer of a 5-year-old boy has appeared before a full public gallery this morning.
Five-year-old Ferro-James Tiopira Sio died in Rotorua Hospital on February 8.
On February 18, the boy's father, 24-year-old William James Sio, was charged with murder and ill-treatment/neglect of a child. Leza Rawiri, 28, was charged with ill-treatment/neglect of a child.
Ferro-James Sio. Photo / Supplied
William Sio appeared in person wearing a blue boiler suit before Judge Greg Hollister-Jones in the Rotorua District Court this morning.
He was remanded in custody to appear in the High Court at Rotorua on March 13.
A member of the public slammed the door as she left the court after Sio's appearance.
Rawiri, the co-defendant, appeared via audiovisual link from custody.
She hid her face from the screen.
Memorial for Ferro-James Sio at the tree outside the Union St house he lived in. Photo / File
Defence counsel Moana Dorset told the court Ferro-James was not Rawiri's son.
Rawiri was remanded in custody to reappear with her co-accused in the High Court on March 13.
Police and forensics scientists cordoned off the house on Union St, Victoria, on the weekend of Ferro-James' death and a post-mortem examination was carried out.
About 100 people gathered for a vigil for Ferro-James at Jean Batten Square in Rotorua on February 16.
Karakia for Ferro-James Sio. Photo / File
Ferro-James' whānau from Rotorua and Tauranga were supported by fellow attendees.
Earlier that day Man Up also held a Ride for Hope to acknowledge the child's death.
At the time, Oranga Tamariki's northern deputy chief executive for services for children and families, Glynis Sandland, said: "The death of this little boy is extremely distressing".
Amy Walsh talks to the Herald about search efforts after her 19 year old daughter Maia Johnston disappeared in Totara Park Upper Hutt. Video / NZ Herald
