A 58-year-old factory hand from South Auckland returned to court on Wednesday after his wounding with intent charge - filed last month, shortly after the death of a 69-year-old man - was upgraded to murder.
The defendant was remanded without plea for the new charge as he appeared via audio-video link at Manukau District Court.
Police withdrew the previous wounding allegation in lieu of the new charge.
The defendant has been granted interim name suppression until his next hearing, set to take place next month at the High Court at Auckland.
Emergency services were called to a 69-year-old man's Māngere East home early in the morning on October 24. They found him critically injured from what appeared to be an assault, police have previously said.
