Two men have had their charges upgraded to murder, now jointly accused of killing dairy worker Janak Patel alongside Frederick Hobson, whose name suppression lapsed today.
Henry Fred and Shane Tane were initially accused of robbery in relation to the dairy worker's death.
Hobson and Fred have both pleaded not guilty to murder, while Tane is yet to enter a plea to the charge.
Janak Patel was attacked outside a dairy in the Auckland suburb of Sandringham after confronting an alleged robber on November 23 last year.
His death sparked nationwide small business protests, with retailers calling for the Government to do more to target crime across the country.
The Government later announced a multi-million dollar package, including a new fog cannon subsidy scheme, and extra funding for crime prevention funds.
The three murder accused are due to go to trial in May 2024.
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