Tears as man admits murder

A man charged with the murder of a middle-aged Huntly man has pleaded guilty a day after indicating he would defend the charge against him.

As he entered his plea in the High Court at Hamilton, John Tokoroa Bunt, 22, also of Huntly, looked at the gathering of whanau who sat silently, some in tears, in the public gallery.

The murder charge relates to the death of 48-year-old Wiremu Tamanui Awa, a man known to him, whose body was found on a vacant Shaw St section near railway tracks on the western outskirts of town on April 19 last year.

After the discovery of Mr Awa's body, police did not launch a homicide investigation until two weeks later. They arrested Bunt after an inquiry lasting only a week. A summary of the facts of the case was not available yesterday.

A jury was empanelled on Monday for the trial but Bunt yesterday changed his plea to guilty.

A relative to Mr Awa, who asked not to be named, later told the Herald he missed his cousin, who would often go eeling with children from around the neighbourhood.

He said Mr Awa used to ride around Huntly on a pushbike well into his 40s and was not often in employment but managed to coach local children in rugby league.

The man said Mr Awa had a partner at the time of his death. He also had grown children and grandchildren.

"They'll be missing him too.

"He was a good father, pretty harmless, and not the kind of guy who was prone to violence.

"He could be a little bit of a hoha (nuisance) but it's just really sad that this has happened.

"We know John and of course we know his family, it will be tough for them too.

"It's tough for all of us."

A karakia was held among family members before they entered court yesterday.

But the mood changed when the families of the two men exchanged words outside court after Bunt's appearance.

Bunt will reappear in Hamilton for sentencing on June 6.