Two charged with burglary of murder victim’s home

BODY IDENTIFIED: Stephen George’s family (from right) wife Leone George, mother Lindsay George and sister Susan Dodunski at last year’s press conference in Te Awamutu where it was announced Stephen George had been identified as the body found in the Tirohanga fire. File photo.

By Dean Taylor

Police have revealed two men were jointly charged with the burglary of Stephen George’s Tirohanga home, an offence committed on the same day the former Te Awamutu 33-year-old died when his house burnt to the ground.

The circumstances surrounding the death led to a murder investigation, which police say is still continuing.

Richard Anthony Ell (42) of Tokoroa appeared in the Tokoroa District Court on Saturday and was remanded, with full suppression, to appear in the Rotorua District Court yesterday. He was charged jointly for committing the burglary with 42-year-old Te Awamutu man Alan Howard Brewer. Ell entered no plea and was remanded in custody to appear again today for a bail hearing.

Hamilton police have been investigating the death of Brewer, who was found dead on a Parawera property on Monday afternoon. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, which has now been referred to the coroner.

STEPHEN GEORGE

Mr George’s body was found in the burnt out remains of his house on October 9 last year. DNA sampling had to be used to identify the victim. Enquiry head, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper of Rotorua CIB, made the formal announcement that the victim was Stephen George in Te Awamutu on November 21.

Police enquiries confirmed Mr George had links to cannabis dealing in the southern Waikato area. It is also now known he had been at a party in Kihikihi on the night of his death, and had made at least one trip to the Star Tavern to purchase more alcohol, but had made it back to his home.

After the fire Mr George’s Nissan Primera was missing, which caused some speculation he had not made it home. But on October 13 the car was found burnt out 12km north of Mangakino, at which stage the investigation was classified as a homicide.

Police stated at the time they believed at least two people were involved in the murder.

POLICE aerial photograph of Stephen George’s burnt out Tirohanga home.