A man accused of stabbing a woman to death at the South Auckland home they shared has made a brief court appearance
The man in his 30s, charged with murder, appeared in Manukau District Court this afternoon, where he was granted interim name suppression.
He also faces a charge of resisting police on the same evening.
The defendant appeared before Judge Roy Wade wearing oversized blue overalls and was remanded in custody until his next appearance in the High Court at Auckland next month.
Police said he lived at the address with the 48-year-old victim and they confirmed "a number of people" who were at the house at the time were being interviewed.
Officers arrived at the Papatoetoe home just after 7pm to find a woman bleeding heavily as a result of injuries received from "a sharp instrument", and commenced CPR.
Ambulance staff continued resuscitation efforts when they arrived shortly after, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
This afternoon, the front of the Papatoetoe residence was cordoned off with police tape and officers stood guard while the scene examination continued.
Staff in white overalls could be seen photographing the crime scene.
Only just visible from the front of a house is a large blue tarpaulin covering part of the paved backyard.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the residents spent a lot of time out there.
"There's usually a bit of music," she said. "They sit out the back and there are heaps of people talking."
Though she did not know her neighbours, she said it was the second time in six months the police had descended on the property.
The first time was on the day she moved in, in November, when a car was stolen.
Another nearby resident, Tepora Taifau, confirmed the incident but she too did not know the people who lived in the house.
Ms Taifau said people came and went from the address fairly regularly and she had seen two men and a woman at the front of the house talking early yesterday evening, which she said was unusual.
She described the neighbourhood as "alright" but her opinion was changing.
"It makes me think: 'Far out, am I in the right neighbourhood?'"
Top Care Early Childhood Centre - across the road from the taped-off house - was open for business, and said the homicide had no effect on their numbers.
"Mondays are always quiet anyway," a staff member said.
One mother picking up her daughter was shocked to hear what had happened over the road but said, had she known, she still would have taken her child to the centre because she trusted the staff.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted on the victim this afternoon.
No one else was being sought in relation to the incident, police confirmed.
Family say there are two people who may have information but are yet to be located.