{"id":261056,"date":"2026-01-31T13:44:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T13:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/261056\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T13:44:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T13:44:23","slug":"sunlive-rse-worker-pleads-not-guilty-to-bop-orchard-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/261056\/","title":{"rendered":"SunLive – RSE worker pleads not guilty to BOP orchard murder"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Ni-Vanuatu migrant worker has pleaded not guilty to murdering a woman on a kiwifruit orchard in the Bay of Plenty.<\/p>\n


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The 50-year-old man, who has interim name suppression, is accused of murdering a female Ni-Vanuatu tourist with whom he was in a family relationship.<\/p>\n


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He appeared briefly in the Tauranga District Court on Friday.<\/p>\n


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The woman was found dead on New Year\u2019s Day at Cameron Orchards in Pukehina, where the defendant worked. Police were called to the Old Coach Road address about 3pm.<\/p>\n


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Less than 12 hours later, Adam Nauka, a migrant worker, was found dead on the same property.<\/p>\n

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Both workers were employed in New Zealand under a\u00a0Recognised Seasonal Employee (RSE) visa<\/a>, and were visiting on a tourist visa.<\/p>\n


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Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson announced last night that police had filed a murder charge in place of a simple assault charge relating to the death of the woman.<\/p>\n


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A Vanuatu country liaison told RNZ Pacific that Nauka passed away as the result of a medical issue.<\/p>\n


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In court this morning, defence lawyer John Wayne applied for interim name suppression for his client to continue until his scheduled High Court appearance on February 18.<\/p>\n


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–RNZ<\/a><\/p>\n

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