Triple stabbing: Brent Scott to defend charges

Brent Scott.

The man accused of stabbing his wife to death and attempting to murder his stepdaughter and her boyfriend in Auckland will defend the charges.

Brent Donovan Scott, 49, is accused of the murder of Heidi Welman-Scott, 41, and attempting to kill Taryn Leigh Welman, 22, and her boyfriend Matija Miletic, also 22, in the North Shore suburb of Albany on November 27.

The defendant appeared in the High Court at Auckland this morning where his lawyer Marie Dyhrberg, QC, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.

She said a trial would not hinge on forensic evidence and a lot of Crown evidence in that respect would be accepted by her client.

No date was set for the trial - expected to last three weeks - but Ms Dyhrberg said she was hopeful it would take place midway through next year.

It is alleged that the South African-born Scott went to the family home, where neighbours heard a fight taking place about 8.50am.

Minutes later Ms Welman-Scott was lying dead by the side of the road

The other two were seriously wounded - both stabbed several times in the stomach.

Scott wasn't living at the Mahoney Drive home he bought with his wife 17 years ago.

Court documents listed him as living in Glenfield.

Last month's events sparked a large-scale manhunt for the defendant which saw three schools put in lockdown.

Scott was eventually arrested at Auckland Airport.

He was remanded in custody and will next appear in the High Court in February.