The Herald understands he had been riding a motorcycle when it was struck by a hatchback travelling in the same direction just before the alleged attack.
The case has been the subject of heavy court-ordered suppressions, including the names of defendants, the identity of the deceased and some circumstances surrounding the death.
That suppression remained in place today, although the Crown stated it no longer wished to pursue suppression for the deceased and intended to oppose suppression for most of the defendants. A contested hearing is expected but has not yet been scheduled.
Justice Gault, citing an abundance of caution, ordered all remaining orders to remain in place.
The judge also ordered a five-week trial to begin in May next year.
The two murder accused were taken into custody without incident last month near Te Awamutu in Waikato.
A woman and a man charged with being an accessory to murder are on bail, while all others remain in custody.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
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