10 Jun 2022

Ben McIntosh Glen Eden homicide: Trio appear in court, given name suppression

8:51 pm on 10 June 2022

By Leighton Keith, Open Justice reporter of NZ Herald

Three people who appeared in court in relation to the murder of Benjamin McIntosh have all been granted interim name suppression and will remain in custody for now.

Waitākere District Court. Photo:

The trio, two men jointly charged with McIntosh's murder, and a woman who was charged with being an accessory after the fact, were arrested on Thursday and charged overnight.

They appeared before Judge Lisa Tremewan in the Waitākere District Court today, one week after the 36-year-old was found in a critical condition in his car with a gunshot wound at Harold Moody Park in the Auckland suburb of Glen Eden.

A 23-year-old male was jointly charged with a 25-year-old male with McIntosh's murder.

The 23-year-old faced other charges including threatening to kill, intent to injure caused grievous bodily harm, unlawful possession of a firearm, dishonestly taking motor vehicles and dangerous driving.

The 25-year-old man only faced the joint charge of murder.

The 24-year-old woman faced multiple charges including being an accessory after the fact to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, dishonestly taking motor vehicles, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police and failing to remain stopped.

Judge Tremewan remanded all three in custody by consent and granted them interim name suppression to their next appearance.

The 23-year-old is due to appear in the Auckland High Court on 29 June, at 9am, on the murder charge and unlawful possession of a firearm.

He will appear in the Waitākere District Court on five charges at 10am on 23 June, the North Shore District Court on the same day at 12.45pm facing two charges, the Manukau District Court on 22 June, on a burglary charge and the Auckland District Court on 21 June.

His murder co-accused was remanded to reappear in the Auckland High Court on 29 June, at 9am.

The woman was remanded in custody to reappear on all matters, including being an accessory to murder after the fact, in the Waitākere District Court on 23 June, at 3.15pm.

Police arrested a 23-year-old man and 24-year-old woman near Dargaville on Thursday after a car arrived at a house but fled after spotting police.

After a 15-minute chase, in which police said the driver recklessly travelled at high speeds, road spikes were used to slow it before a police vehicle was used to eventually stop the vehicle. A firearm was allegedly located inside.

The third person was found in West Auckland.

Organs donated

McIntosh, a father of one, was taken to Auckland Hospital in a critical condition but died last Sunday, surrounded by family and friends, after his life support was turned off.

He was described as a dearly loved father, son, brother and grandson, who would do anything for anyone.

McIntosh's family allowed medical staff to take his organs to help save others.

He would be remembered for his sense of humour and generosity, and someone who was loved by all and would help anybody out.

"That's why as a family we made the decision to donate his organs. He will be helping a lot of people with his organ donation," his aunt, Andrea McIntosh, told the New Zealand Herald.

* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.