West Auckland car park homicide: Mother of murder defendant Ethan Dodds accused of perverting course of justice

It can now be revealed that the mother of murder defendant Ethan Dane Dodds, accused of participating in the fatal shooting of another man at a West Auckland park last month, will be joining him in the dock as a co-defendant.

Name suppression lapsed today for Donna Dodds, whose lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf at her first appearance in the High Court at Auckland.

Although the 59-year-old is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice - not murder - Justice Sally Fitzgerald ruled today that her case will be joined with that of her son and two others.

A four-week trial has been scheduled for February 2024.

Ben McIntosh, 36, died in hospital after emergency responders found him in critical condition on June 3. He was found shot in his car at Harold Moody Park in Glen Eden.

Ben McIntosh was found critically injured with a gunhot wound at Harold Moody Park. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A week later, police charged Ethan Dodds, 23, and Julius Abner Te Hivaka, 25, with murder and a 24-year-old woman who continues to have name suppression with accessory after the fact to murder.

Donna Dodds' charge was added two weeks ago. She appeared in Waitākere District Court the same week as the other three made their first appearance in the High Court, resulting in a courtroom outburst.

Ethan Dodds and members of McIntosh's family began yelling at each other during the hearing, with Dodds and the family members both being escorted out different doors in the courtroom by security after the observers began banging on the glass of the dock that separated them from the defendants.

Defence lawyer George Burns referred to the outburst again today, noting that client Donna Dodds "continues to have concerns" regarding her name being published due to the confrontation. But she understands there's a high bar to name suppression and she wasn't likely to receive it, he told the judge.