Marcus Luke Tucker murder: Abused hurled at four accused in court

The man accused of murdering Marcus Luke Tucker, whose badly bashed body was found burned and dumped by a Canterbury lake, has pleaded not guilty today.

Peter John Carroll, 51, denies killing Tucker on April 24, the day before his body was found on Anzac Day.

Carroll, of Bishopdale, Christchurch, entered the not guilty plea at the High Court in Christchurch this morning.

George Perry Waata, a 51-year-old of Opawa, also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Tucker on April 24.

He appeared in court on crutches. His defence counsel Josh Lucas said he would apply for bail on July 5.

Anthony Richard Dawson, a 28-year-old supervisor from Leeston, is yet to plea to a charge that he helped Carroll avoid arrest by suppressing evidence.

A 31-year-old woman, who has interim name suppression, has yet to plead to charges of conspiring with Carroll to assault Tucker and with being an accessory to murder.

Justice Cameron Mander remanded all four in custody for a case review hearing on July 29.

A man in the public gallery called each accused a "piece of s***" as they were led back into custody.

The body of Mr Tucker, 36, was found dumped near Lake Ellesmere on Drain Rd, Doyleston on Anzac Day.

He was severely assaulted before his body was burned and then reportedly wrapped in some material, police say.