The man charged in relation to the death of Linda Woods has appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Wednesday morning, as Woods' whānau and friends gather to say their goodbyes at her funeral service.
It comes after police carried out a search warrant at a nearby property on Tuesday and found the 52-year-old who was taken into custody.
He has been charged with manslaughter, burglary, and two counts of aggravated assault.
Police believe the home invasion started as a sexually motivated burglary on the night of June 1 at the Taraire Street property, where Linda Woods lived with four generations of her whanau, who are all female.
Police say the alleged offender was found hiding in one of the bedrooms of the home.
A struggle between the occupants and the intruder resulted in Linda being seriously injured.
Despite efforts from emergency services, the 71-year-old, who was a dialysis patient, died at the scene.
On Monday, police revealed they had a breakthrough in the case, stating a DNA profile linked to the offender was collected from the scene.
Earlier, police released photos of clothing left at the scene by the offender, which included sneakers and jean shorts.
The 52-year-old man appeared in the Kaikohe District Court before Judge Greg Davies at 10am on Wednesday.
The accused stared down at the floor during the proceedings.
Judge Davies allowed media to film and show the identity of the defendant due to the high level of public interest.
But, the man's counsel appealed the decision meaning the man has been granted interim name suppression until his next appearance in the High Court in Whangarei on June 23. The 52-year-old also didn't enter a plea in his court appearance.
As he was led out of the courtroom, whānau of the defendant yelled, "Love you uncle".
Newshub understands a service will be held at Linda's home this morning before she is taken to the burial ground at Aperahama.
On Tuesday, Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston said police know the community will have many questions about the person taken into custody.
He said there are several aspects of the case they can't comment on as the matter is now before the courts, however, Johnston said he's "pleased".
"While there are now a number of aspects we are unable to comment on, what we can say is that we are pleased to have brought a resolution for Linda's whanau," he said.
"Her death was a tragedy, and we know that this has been felt deeply throughout the community.
"We hope this arrest will bring some comfort to both Linda's family and to the wider community in Kaikohe.
"However, as this matter is now before the court, Police are unable to provide further information at this time".
