A man arrived at the Manukau Police Station about 1am on Monday 6 January, where he spoke to police staff, leading to the discovery of a deceased child in the vehicle.
An Auckland man accused of murdering a young child whose body was found in a car outside the Manukau Police Station has appeared in court and will keep his name secret for now.
The man, aged in his 30s, appeared in the Manukau District Court on Monday afternoon, just across the road from the station where police said he arrived and spoke to officers shortly after midnight, leading to the child’s body being found in a car parked outside.
Court documents state police are alleging he murdered the child on Sunday in East Tamaki. He is listed as living in another South Auckland suburb.
Police say he was known to the child and their family. He does not share a surname with the child, whose details including age, gender, ethnicity, and cause of death are suppressed.
He was initially set to be represented by a lawyer from the Public Defence Service on Monday morning, but the court heard his family had engaged private counsel, so the matter was delayed while his new lawyer, Sharyn Green, could take instructions from the accused.
When the matter was recalled before Judge Ngaroma Tahana late on Monday afternoon after a delay of several hours, Green sought interim name suppression for the man, citing potential risks to his safety.
Police cordoned off the scene where the car was parked between the Manukau District Court and police station. Photo / Hayden Woodward
A police prosecutor sought suppression of the name and identifying details, along with the cause of death and other details contained in the summary of facts.
The man had suffered injuries and was treated in hospital in the hours after his arrest, Green said. The origin of the injuries was unclear.
Tearful family members of the defendant were in the public gallery. The man, appearing distraught, gestured to his family during the hearing.
Judge Tahana remanded the man in custody without plea until his next appearance, scheduled for 9am on February 5 in the High Court at Auckland. Suppression of his name and that of the child will continue until then at least.
The judge declined the media’s application to film and take photos in court.
Judge Tahana granted the requests for interim name suppression of the defendant and suppressed his relationship to his alleged victim, along with their age, ethnicity and other details.
An officer and a detective investigate the car where the young child's body was found early on Monday, January 6. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Police allege the man murdered the child on Sunday, court documents state.
The accused is listed as living in a South Auckland suburb and the location of the alleged offence is recorded in court documents as East Tamaki.
After the grisly discovery early on Monday, police cordoned off a silver Nissan sedan parked in Barrowcliffe Place, directly outside the entrance to the Manukau Police Station.
Police said in a statement the accused arrived at the station at about 1am on Monday, where he spoke to police, leading to the discovery of the dead child in the car.
“A post-mortem and other inquiries will be carried out this week, and Victim Support is providing support to the child’s mother and family.”
