The man accused of murdering a Waikato baby that police say suffered “violent, blunt-force trauma” has pleaded not guilty.
The defendant, who’s 22, has appeared at the High Court in Hamilton this morning where name suppression was continued.
10-month old Mustafa Ali was taken to Te Kūiti Hospital last month.
He was unconscious and had what police called “non-accidental” injuries and couldn’t be revived.
Police revealed at the time the Mustafa was previously known to them for another non-accidental injury they said happened last October.
The not guilty plea on Tuesday morning was entered through the man’s lawyer Rosalind Brown.
A trial date has been set for February 2026.
The man, who was aided in court by an interpreter, has been remanded in custody through to the trial.
A hearing later this month will consider whether his name suppression should continue.
