Five more people have appeared in court charged with the murder of Tauranga man Mitchell Te Kani.

It’s understood up to 20 people are being sought over Te Kani’s death after an alleged incident at a property on Maungatapu Rd on May 14 last year.

A total of eight have now been charged, with four in the Tauranga District Court today, while a fifth, a 27-year-old Waikato man, appeared in the Hamilton District Court.

Through his lawyer, Jessica Tarrant, the Waikato man entered not guilty pleas to the murder charge along with two of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault with intent to injure, and injuring with intent to injure five different victims, including Te Kani, at Tauranga on May 14, last year.

He was granted interim name suppression by Judge Glen Marshall.

Tarrant didn’t put in a bail application on his behalf and instead, the accused was remanded in custody to reappear in the Tauranga High Court on February 1.

The four who appeared in Tauranga today were also granted interim name suppression and remanded to reappear on the same date.

Yesterday, two others were charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Crown prosecutor Sonny Teki-Clark earlier asked that the trial be set down in the larger High Court at Hamilton, with there being too many defendants to fit in the Tauranga courthouse.

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A trial has been tentatively set down for 2024.

The police investigation into Te Kani’s death continues.