A man accused of murdering two pawn shop workers in south Auckland has denied the offending.
The 25-year-old appeared in the High Court at Auckland this morning where there was no application for continued name suppression from his lawyer Bruce Hesketh.
It is alleged Papakura man Zarn Tarapata killed Paul Fanning, 69, and his employee Paul Matthews, 47, at the Ezy Cash loan store on Great South Rd, Takanini, on July 19.
Tarapata was arrested in Huntly late that night.
It was revealed at his first appearance at Papakura District Court that his girlfriend worked at the shop where the incident happened.
Today the accused stood in the dock with his eyes to the ground.
He will be back before the High Court in October.
A provisional trial date was set for May next year and is expected to last three weeks.
- By Rob Kidd of APNZ
