A man jointly charged with aggravated burglary and kidnapping in south Invercargill has pleaded not guilty in the Invercargill District Court this afternoon. 

Miharo Papa (36) is jointly charged along with three others, with unlawfully detaining a person against their will and committing aggravated burglary at an address on Regent Street, Invercargill in the early hours of November 19.

Papa is also charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm, assault with a pistol and faces another charge of common assault. 

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He pleaded not guilty to all five charges today.

Judge Bernadette Farnan denied Papa’s bail application and remanded him in custody until his case review hearing date on February 15, 2021. 

Papa is expected to next appear in court via audio visual link.

Last week, John Kenneth Butler (36), Brendon Kaea (39) and Nathan Arama Mitchell Rerekura (31) appeared in the Invercargill District Court, jointly charged with entering a building on Regent Street without authority on November 19, with an intent to commit an imprisonable offence in that building, armed with a pistol and a tomahawk.

They were also charged with detaining a person against their will. 

Butler, Kaea and Rerekura were remanded in custody until December 17, without plea.

None made any applications for bail.