Otorohanga road rage murder: Two accused to fight charges, head to trial

The two accused will fight the charges and head to trial in 12 months.

Two men accused of murdering a Te Kuiti father of six in the main street of Ōtorohanga will fight their charges.

The men, a 39-year-old labourer from the Thames-Coromandel district and a 30-year-old Hamilton man, are jointly charged with the murder of Anthony Takrouna Bell in Ōtorohanga on October 2.

The 30-year-old is also charged with assaulting a second victim using a hammer as a weapon.

They appeared via audiovisual link before Justice Graham Lang in the High Court at Hamilton where not guilty pleas were entered to all charges.

Justice Lang also set down a trial for two weeks in October next year.

The pair will next appear for a bail and name suppression hearing in November.

They were remanded in custody until that date.