16 Nov 2015

Taranaki man in court accused of killing son

1:27 pm on 16 November 2015

The trial of a Taranaki man accused of murdering his son has begun at the High Court in New Plymouth.

David Noel Roigard

David Noel Roigard Photo: POOL / Robert Charles / Fairfax NZ

David Noel Roigard, 50, of Opunake, denies killing his son who has not been seen since June.

Aaron Roigard, a 27-year-old father of two, was last seen near Waiteika Rd in Opunake, on 2 June following a family disagreement.

His bank account and cellphone have not been used since, and extensive land, sea and air searches have failed to locate him.

David Roigard was arrested in October and charged with murdering his son. He also faces eight other charges of theft in a special relationship.

The trial has been set down for four weeks and will be heard by Justice Paul Heath and a jury of 10 women and two men.