Man remanded over murder of dairy worker

Bhagubhai Vaghela had worked part-time at the minimart since January.

A man charged with the murder of a shop assistant who was shot in a dairy last weekend was today remanded in custody when he appeared briefly in Auckland District Court.


James Junior Lawrie, who was arrested last night on his 25th birthday, will reappear on Monday.


Lawrie has been charged with murdering Bhagubhai Vaghela, who died in the Uptown Mini Mart in New North Rd, in inner city Eden Terrace, last Sunday night.


He has also been charged with robbing Mr Vaghela, 58, while armed with a firearm.


Lawrie, unemployed and from the west Auckland suburb of Kelston, also faces six other counts relating to incidents involving 10 other victims.


The incidents were alleged to have taken place in Glendene, central Auckland, Henderson and Balmoral on June 9, 10, 11 and 18.


Those charges include aggravated robbery with a firearm, wounding and rendering a person incapable of resistance.


Earlier today, police said Lawrie was arrested in Kelston as the result of wide-ranging inquiries in the Auckland, North Shore and Waitakere police districts.


Another person, Christopher Robert Smith, 33, was questioned over Mr Vaghela's death but was ruled out of the inquiry yesterday.

Smith was arrested in New Plymouth on Thursday and appeared in the New Plymouth District Court later that day on charges relating to the armed robbery of a dairy in the east Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach on June 5.

He was remanded to reappear in Manukau District Court in Auckland next Friday.
Detective Inspector Bernie Hollewand said police were still appealing for information from the public about events in and near the Uptown Mini Mart at the time Mr Vaghela was shot.


"There's still plenty of work to be done," he said.


"We still want to gather as much information about the events of the night of June 19 from members of the public as we can."


Police have set up a number for the investigation dubbed Operation Rendall -- 0800 736 325.


- NZPA