A group of seven people charged in relation to the murder of Sao Young have all entered not guilty pleas in the High Court in Hamilton.
In total 21 charges have been laid against the group. Four have been accused of murder and six have been accused of kidnapping. All seven have been granted interim name suppression until their next hearing in December.
One woman cried in the dock as the pleas were entered. The others all appeared via video, and all sat silently on camera, except for one woman who didn’t have a lawyer who declared she was "not guilty” when charges were read out to her.
Young’s body was discovered on a rural property in Gordonton in April, a month after he was last seen in Hamilton.
At the time, his family said he was a valued member of the Cambodian community who is "deeply missed".
"We would like to thank those that came forward with information that assisted with the investigation, the Hamilton Police and the team of investigators for all their hard work and dedication leading to the arrest of those involved who will now face justice," the statement said.
