A 14-year-old Northland boy has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge after a fatal stabbing on an Ōpua roadside.
Bram Willems, 22, of Ōkaihau, died on the way to hospital after being stabbed around 11pm on January 7.
The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, appeared in the Whangārei High Court on Thursday morning via an audio visual link from a youth justice facility.
Justice Timothy Brewer, who also appeared via an audio visual link, extended interim name suppression for the boy until his three week trial, which is yet to be scheduled.
Leave for the Crown or news media to apply for name suppression to be lifted was granted by Justice Brewer.
An assessment to see if the teenager needed communication assistance in the trial was ordered by Justice Brewer alongside an assessment of the boy's mental health to confirm he was fit to stand trial.