A man accused of murdering a father and daughter in West Auckland has reappeared in court and entered not guilty pleas.
The 27-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder after the father and daughter were found shot dead on July 15 in the suburb of Glendene.
He entered not guilty pleas through his lawyer Ron Mansfield QC on Wednesday.
A number of the victims’ family and friends filled the public gallery at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday.
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Justice Sally Fitzgerald acknowledged the family and friends of the deceased.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock sought continued name suppression for the deceased and some family members.
A father and daughter were shot in Glendene on July 15.
Mansfield sought continued interim name suppression and said he was still yet to receive full police disclosure and a not guilty plea was to be entered.
Justice Fitzgerald set a trial date down for October 2023.
Stuff understands the woman’s dog was also fatally shot in the incident.
Detective inspector John Sutton previously said the accused was known to the victims and police responded to reports of gunshots at a house in Glendene.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
The man appeared at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday.
When police arrived, two people were found dead.
The shot woman’s sister-in-law posted on social media on the morning after the shooting: “2 beautiful souls…gone…and just like that.
“Love you so much dad … it has been my absolute pleasure to have had the opportunity to call you my father-in-law.”
The sister-in-law said the woman was a “stunning princess”.
A close friend, who spent the morning of the shooting with the woman, just hours before the incident, said she had been excited about her future plans.
The friend said they walked the woman’s dog in the city and “had such a beautiful morning together”.
The woman had goals of setting up a business, having a baby and getting a house with a backyard for her dog, her friend said.
A fundraising page set up for the victims’ family had raised more than $84,000.
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