The man appeared via audio-visual link from the Auckland Custody Unit in Mt Eden Prison before Judge Andrea Manuel today.
He is charged with stabbing the couple to death on November 5 at their home in the suburb of Ellerslie.
Defence lawyer Michael Kan said he had spoken to his client, a Cantonese speaker who has been in New Zealand for many years, and believed he did not need an interpreter.
The 42-year-old accused wore a blue boiler suit and appeared calm, answering the judge’s questions in a measured tone.
Kan sought and was granted interim suppression of the man's name, saying his mother in her 90s and other family may need to be informed.
“Obviously this will be quite a big shock for them,” Kan said.
He did not seek bail.
Judge Manuel granted the accused suppression of name, address and occupation. He allowed the media to take pictures of the man on the condition they were blurred.
The accused was remanded in custody without plea until his next appearance in the High Court at Auckland on November 29.
Police located the accused in Hamilton last night.
Wife found in bush area
Registered nurse Fuk-Fu Joseph Kwok was found unresponsive at his Ellerslie home on Monday night by a family member and was pronounced dead at the scene by police.
Police subsequently held fears for the life of his 67-year-old wife, Mei Han Chong, and a search for her began.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard today confirmed to media that her body had been found in the Auckland suburb of Greenhithe in a bush area overnight.
“I have to thank our outstanding police team, who worked all night,” Beard said. ”We have a team now conducting the scene examination.”
Beard said police discovered suspicious activity on the night of the homicide and scoured hours and hours of CCTV footage that allowed them to locate the woman.
“We’re devastated to locate Mrs Chong in these circumstances and are providing support to their son, who has lost both his father and his mother.
“There are uncles and aunties around but at the moment he is an only child,” Beard said, talking about the anguish and stress he is suffering.
Beard said there was no indication the accused had tried to leave the country, and at this stage police were not ruling out further charges.
The investigation is ongoing and a lot of work had been done overnight that police were trying to piece together, he said.
The couple’s car was located in Hall Rd in the suburb of Glenfield with its number plates changed.
Beard said the homicide investigation continues in Ellerslie, but police have a number of other scenes to investigate.
