Pair appear in Rotorua court over Dunedin killing

A security officer guards the Lock St crime scene. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

The man and woman arrested in Rotorua in relation to a death in Dunedin have been remanded into custody without plea after court appearances today. Aleisha Cherie Dawson, 30, and John Kenneth Collins, 37, appeared separately before Judge Maree McKenzie in the Rotorua District Court this afternoon.

Collins, who is facing one murder charge and one charge of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, appeared in board shorts and a T-shirt.

His lawyer Harry Edwards made no applications for name suppression or for bail. He was remanded into custody without plea until his next appearance on March 5 in the High Court at Dunedin.

Dawson is facing charges of accessory to murder after the fact, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and two charges of attempting to use bank cards to obtain pecuniary advantage.

Her duty lawyer Tim Braithwaite applied for bail but this was opposed by police and declined by the judge.

The pair was arrested in Rotorua yesterday afternoon.

The arrest is linked to the discovery of a bloody crime scene in Dunedin's St Clair where police and forensic scientists have worked since Sunday.

This morning during a press conference at Dunedin Central Police Station Inspector Shona Low said they were not looking for anyone else in respect of the incident.

"We have received some information regarding this matter from the public and we thank them for their assistance," Low said.

"We are still seeking further information in regard to the dark blue 1995 Toyota people mover that travelled from Dunedin to Picton in the early hours of the morning of Tuesday 5 February."

Police said, in a statement, a post-mortem was taking place today and formal identification of the man would be completed later this week.

The dark blue people-mover of interest in a homicide inquiry after an alleged dash from Dunedin to Picton early on February 5. Photo / Supplied