By Shannon Pitman of 
Lewis Edmonds appeared in the High Court at Whangārei, charged with the murder of Archibald McKenzie. Photo: Supplied / NZME
A man charged with murder offered an apology from the dock to upset family members of the victim just moments after he denied committing the crime.
On Friday, Lewis Edmonds, 49, of Kaitāia, appeared in the High Court at Whangārei on one charge of murder.
It is alleged Edmonds killed 63-year-old Archibald McKenzie of Te Ti Mangonui between 15 and 16 April.
McKenzie's body was found in a car park on Station Rd, Kawakawa, in the early hours of 16 April. Police launched a homicide investigation soon after.
Edmonds was then arrested and appeared in the Kaikohe District Court last month.
At his second appearance, he entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge.
As Justice David Johnstone dictated his formal minute of the proceedings, he mentioned that McKenzie was Edmonds' uncle, triggering some emotion from the packed public gallery.
"He's not our whānau, bro," one person said, referring to Edmonds.
Edmonds began to shuffle on his feet while in the dock.
Then, as the hearing finished and he was being led away to be taken back into custody, he began a mihi to the people in the public gallery, addressing them in te reo Māori.
As security guards tried to move him on, Edmonds said to the gallery, "Aroha mai whānau, aroha mai. I wanted to apologise earlier through our cousin."
His lawyer, Mathew Ridgley, told him to stop talking, to which Edmonds responded, "I have to 'cause they're my whānau."
"We're not your whānau," a member of the public said.
A three-week trial has been scheduled to begin on 20 September 2027.
Edmonds will next appear for a case review hearing on 4 July.
-This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
