Man in court after woman found dead

The family of a mother of three killed in her home on Christmas Eve sat in the public gallery of a courtroom yesterday and watched as a man was charged with her murder.

One woman was shaking as 35-year-old fisherman Alexander Patrick Ryan made his first appearance in the dock.

The body of 28-year-old Karen Cynthia Oakes was found by ambulance officers at her Ashurst Ave home, in the Hamilton suburb of Pukete, early on Saturday.

At a Boxing Day appearance before a community magistrate in Hamilton District Court, Ryan was remanded in custody to reappear next month.

Ms Oakes' children are aged 5, 3 and 5 months.

She was studying sports and exercise science at the Waikato Institute of Technology.

Police are still waiting for the results of an autopsy carried out on Saturday, but said Ms Oakes' injuries were consistent with a fall or a punch.

Detective Inspector Pete Devoy said a scene examination had been completed and police were trying to track Ms Oakes' movements before her death.

"We know she was in the central city bar area around Alexandra St on Friday night, early Saturday morning. "We're certainly interested to hear from anyone who was in contact with her or knew her and was in contact with her while she was in town."

Ms Oakes' children were being cared for by family members, Mr Devoy said.

Her funeral would be held this week in Opotiki.

A neighbour opposite Ms Oakes' home said he was shocked at the death.

Reon Parker said he awoke to see an ambulance across the street, "which freaked me out".

"When I saw police in paper overalls photographing numbers they'd laid out over there I knew something bad had happened," he said.

* A 44-year-old man appeared in the Kaitaia District Court yesterday charged with murder following a shooting in the Northland town on Christmas Day.

The man was remanded in custody until February 3.

The body of the victim, Lance Murray Hughes, aged 39, of Kaitaia, was found after gunshots were heard coming from a house about 5.30pm.

Senior Sergeant Gordon Gunn of Kaitaia police said after yesterday's court hearing that the accused local man was granted interim name suppression until 10am on Friday to enable family members to be told of the charge.