A former boyfriend of a woman who went missing on the Hauraki Plains eight years ago has appeared in court charged with her murder.
Mark Edward Pakenham, 49, of Auckland, made a brief appearance in the North Shore District Court charged with the murder of Sara Niethe, who has not been seen since March 30, 2003.
Bail was opposed by police, and a bail application hearing will be heard tomorrow.
Ms Niethe, from Kerepehi, 23km south of Thames, was reported missing when she failed to return home after visiting Pakenham at his property on Kaihere, on State Highway 27.
Security camera footage showed her making a purchase on her way in Ngatea, 8km west of Kerepehi, before her journey to Kaihere, about 20km to the southwest. She has not been seen since.
Police said the case had never closed.
