A man will fight charges of murder and attempted murder after an alleged shooting on a remote road on the Coromandel Peninsula. 

Kevin Mabbott, 41, died from a gunshot wound, while another man was seriously injured after the incident on the 309 Rd, which stretches between Coromandel town and Whitianga about 2pm on Friday. 

Stuart Campbell Edmondson didn’t pursue name suppression when he made a brief appearance in the High Court at Hamilton this morning where, through his lawyer Max Simpkins, he entered not guilty pleas to Mabbott’s murder and the attempted murder of another man who was with Mabbott at the time. 

The defendant’s lawyer, Max Simpkins, earlier opposed the media’s application to take photos of Edmondson given the effect on his client’s mental health but allowed name suppression to lapse. 

However, other heavy suppression orders remain in place which do not allow the reporting of any identifying details of Edmondson. 

Simpkins said he would apply for electronically-monitored bail “as soon as possible”. 

Edmondson was remanded in further custody by Justice Matthew Muir to reappear in court for a case review in February. 

He had several supporters in court. 

One friend, who only wanted to be known as Heather, said Edmondson was a “genuinely kind, giving guy”. 

“He would give you the shirt off his back. .” 

Members of the public were quick to help provide CPR to Mabbott, but he died of his injuries a short time later, police confirmed. 

The second victim, Aaron Buckland, was flown to Auckland City Hospital with serious injuries. 

‘A needless end’ 

Mabbott’s family were heartbroken and would be spending today with close family mourning his loss. 

“Rest in peace and love, our son,“ his mother Jane Mabbott wrote on Facebook. 

“Your two sisters, numerous cousins, aunties, uncles, friends, and five sons.” 

She said it was a “needless end to your vibrant, lovable, crazy, ratbag, free-spirited self”. 

“He will be arriving home on Monday morning; We are keeping this day and Tuesday for family only,” Jane said in another post. 

Meanwhile, a person told NZME earlier that someone was lying on the ground near the road. 

The person said he ran out with his first aid kit and put Mabbott into the recovery position. 

“I gave him CPR for 15 minutes before the Westpac helicopters arrived.” 

A second person, who he believed had been shot in the shoulder, was lying on the ground nearby. 

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20.