The trial of three Bay of Plenty men accused of two 2007 murders was aborted in the High Court at Rotorua today, with the reasons suppressed.
Te Puke man Mark Haimona Puata, 50, and Welcome Bay men John Aitken, 33, and David Peter James Anderson, 41, had been charged with murdering William Taikato, 40, on or around December 19 2007.
Puata also denied murdering Darrell James Crawford, 35, on or around August 12 2007.
After three days of legal argument, the trial was aborted today by Justice Joseph Williams.
No new trial date was set and the three men remanded in custody.
Police believed Mr Crawford and Mr Taikato were murdered in relation to their involvement with the drug scene.
Their bodies had never been found and neither man had accessed bank accounts or contacted family since they were last seen.
- NZPA
Murder trial aborted
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