12 Dec 2011

Murder charge over missing Christchurch teenager

6:22 pm on 12 December 2011

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Christchurch teenager Hayden Miles, who was last seen nearly four months ago.

Two others also have also been charged in relation to the 15-year-old's disappearance on 22 August. His 16th birthday has since passed.

A 27-year-old man was in court on Monday, charged with murdering the teenager the day he was last seen.

The accused's name was suppressed, as was all discussion relating to his appearance.

He was remanded in custody until late December.

An 18-year-old woman appeared in court charged with actively suppressing evidence to help the man avoid arrest.

She was granted bail but will be subject to a 24-hour curfew. She also has name suppression.

Timothy Kuka, 35, entered no plea to a charge of robbing Hayden Miles of a cask of wine on 22 August and was also granted bail.

Police are still looking for the boy's body, with eight police staff searching the Ruru Lawn Cemetery in Bromley on Monday, assisted by ESR and a forensic pathologist.

They say they have yet to recover anything from the site, and will be there for several days.

They say they are being respectful of the sensitivity of the location.

Officers have also been conducting a forensic examination at a house in the suburb of Linwood, where Hayden Miles was last seen, for more than a week.

They say the scene examination at the house, in Cashel Street, is in its final stages.

They have also searched about 200 other properties in the area

Police will not say what specific information led to the arrests.