The 30-year-old defendant, who allegedly killed teenager Amber-Rose Rush on February 2, indicated he would plead not guilty to murder when he appeared before the High Court at Dunedin this morning but no plea was formally entered.
Police at the time said the man was known to the victim and they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.
The defendant appeared in front of Justice Gerald Nation, who granted name suppression until a hearing next month.
Defence counsel Ms Taylor-Cyphers said she was still awaiting significant disclosure from the police in the form of DVDs.
She also highlighted the four new charges that had been laid today in support of her application for continued suppression.
Ms Taylor-Cyphers said the defendant would apply for electronically-monitored bail at the next hearing.
Amber-Rose was found dead by family members at her Corstorphine home the day after her alleged murder.
Her mother Lisa Ann voiced her heartache on social media.
‘‘How do I put into words what you mean to me my baby girl. You are literally my other half, my soul, my heart, my everything,” she wrote.
‘‘I don’t know how to be without you, I cannot see a way to live without you.”
In the following days, police launched a search of waterways at Blackhead and later confirmed they found “an item of interest”.
They then asked for public sightings of a silver BMW travelling between Dunedin and Balclutha early on February 3.
Amber-Rose was farewelled at a colourful funeral on February 10 where she was described as the ‘‘life of the party’’, who pretended to be tough but was a ‘‘marshmallow’’ on the inside.
The defendant was remanded in custody and will be back in court for a case review hearing on March 6.
Supporters of Amber-Rose told the man to “get used to it” when he was led away to cells.
