5 Feb 2009

Arrests at court appearance of murder-accused

4:09 pm on 5 February 2009

Two people were arrested in the Hastings District Court following the appearance on Thursday of a gang associate charged over the fatal stabbing of a Central Hawke's Bay contractor.

Hulio Henry Ataria, 22, was charged with the murder of Mark McCutcheon, 34.

Mr McCutcheon was stabbed shortly after he intervened in a dispute outside the Sandford Arms Hotel in the township of Ongaonga almost a fortnight ago.

Shortly after, Hulio Ataria was remanded in custody by the Hastings District Court one of his supporters shouted obscenities.

The woman was arrested and another supporter who also shouted out was handcuffed by police.