KEY POINTS:
A 41-year-old man charged with murdering Gareth Te Huia in Waikato early on New Year's Day has been remanded in custody.
The man, understood to be a friend of Mr Te Huia, will appear again in Hamilton District Court on January 4. He was given interim name suppression.
Two men charged with attacking a police officer responding to the fatal stabbing also appeared in court today.
Trident Rua, 20, of Kihikihi, and Conan Aperihama, 22, from Cape Reinga, were jointly accused in Hamilton District Court this morning with assaulting a police constable, and causing damage to his private car, two other police cars, and Kawhia police station.
They were remanded on bail.
Mr Te Huia's family said last night that they pleaded for him to come home to his grandfather's property on New Year's Eve, fearing that he would "get into trouble" if he stayed in Kawhia.
Ignoring their warnings, he stayed in town before going to a party, where he was stabbed to death during a fight believed to have been over a woman.
Reuben Te Huia said last night he had warned his family that he did not want "too much beer around" while they were camping on his 4ha property over New Year. If they wanted to drink they could head into town, about 1.6km away.
His 23-year-old grandson headed into Kawhia on New Year's Eve and "he never ever came back".
Later in the evening, many family members decided to head back to the property but the young Te Awamutu man ignored their pleas to join them.
"Some of the family came back and said 'if Gareth don't watch it he'll get into trouble' because he wouldn't come back with them."
Several hours later, he was stabbed to death outside a derelict wooden house in Apakura St.
The house was burned to the ground last night. It is understood the owner had planned for some time to destroy it.
Firefighters were called to the scene, but police are not treating the fire as suspicious as the owner had the right to burn his property if he wanted.
Neighbours and campers said on the night of the stabbing they had feared trouble as a party outside the house continued throughout the night.
"You just sort of knew something was going to go over," said camper John Mika, from Hamilton. "We heard a big scrummage."
Neighbour
Neighbour Jim Vellenoweth said the first he knew of the death was when he heard the ambulance and looked out to see the dead man on the road. "I just thought it was a heart attack, I didn't think it was a homicide."
After the stabbing, two men, believed to be from the party, ran to the Kawhia police station, which is attached to the local constable's house, to get help.
In an unusual twist, they then allegedly attacked the officer and his private vehicle. He received several cuts but continued to the scene where he and other emergency workers were greeted with more hostility.
"The people were more aggro to the police," said Mr Vellenoweth. "It was quite shaming, the way they treated the police."
Word of the death spread quickly through the small town, and by 5.30am Reuben Te Huia received a phonecall from his son.
"We were told the whole story, that he was murdered," he said. "I had a collapse, my heart played up on me and I had a hard time [upon learning the news]."
Mr Te Huia said the accused was a friend who had gone with his grandson to town on New Year's Eve. He believes the stabbing was the result of a fight fuelled by too much alcohol.
"I just heard it was something over a woman and, of course, too much beer I suppose."
Yesterday, as the body was removed from the scene, about 20 whanau and friends of Gareth Te Huia and the man accused of killing him lined up beside the hearse for a karakia and waiata before it drove away.
One man from the local marae said the accused man was his nephew and was also related to Gareth Te Huia.
"We grew up with them and they grew up with us, and we will stand beside them both. It's family.
"It's just in today's society it's happening every day."
- additional reporting NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA
