A motorist had stopped to pick up Hargreaves, who was hitchhiking on Gordonton Rd, when it’s alleged he stole the motorist’s car.
The motorist was left shaken but uninjured.
Police allege that at 12.40am, the police dog unit spotted the stolen car and pursued it north to Ngāruawāhia, where road spikes were deployed.
The car came to a stop in Ngāruawāhia, and Hargreaves was arrested.
Hargreaves faces charges of murder, aggravated robbery, and failing to stop for police.
Hargreaves’ counsel Nadine Baier confirmed her client no longer wished to pursue name suppression.
An order suppressing the relationship between Hargreaves and his brother was also dropped.
Baier was seeking a further remand without plea as she was still receiving disclosure, however, Justice Kiri Tahana said she needed to enter pleas in order to set a trial date.
Justice Tahana then confirmed a three-week trial for February 14, 2028.
She remanded Hargreaves in custody to reappear for a callover in October.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 10 years and has been a journalist for 21.
