A 38-year-old man has been remanded in custody after being charged with murdering a father and son who died in a house fire in Auckland’s Bucklands Beach three weeks ago.
The victims, 36-year-old Jung Sup Lee and his 11-year-old son Ha-il Lee, were found dead inside their East Auckland home after the blaze. Police later confirmed the fire was deliberately lit using an accelerant, turning the case into a homicide investigation, RNZ reported.
On Friday afternoon, police announced they had laid two murder charges following help from the public. The accused, from Sunnyhills in East Auckland, appeared before Manukau District Court, where bail was not sought, reported RNZ.
He was assisted by a Korean translator during the brief appearance and nodded in response to being addressed. Judge David McNaughton granted the man interim name suppression after his lawyer, David Hoskin, argued that the case was still at an early stage and raised concerns about fair trial rights, as reported by RNZ.
The accused has been remanded in custody and will reappear in the High Court at Auckland next month.
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