NZ Police/Supplied
Gaelene Bright, 69, who went missing on May 1, is described as kind, generous and full of enthusiasm. (File photo)
A Northland man has denied murdering mother and grandmother Gaelene Bright in May.
Raymond Charles Phillimore, a 65-year-old Far North fitter and turner, has been charged with Bright’s murder and unlawful possession of a .22 rifle.
In the High Court in Whangārei on Thursday, he entered not guilty pleas to both charges through his lawyer Leo Lafferty.
Phillimore, who appeared through audiovisual link, was remanded in custody until a case review in August.
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A trial date has been set for June 2023.
Bright, 69, was last seen on May 1 at her house at Waimamaku, a rural village in Northland.
On May 17, police found her remains in Waipoua Forest, just metres from the iconic giant kauri Tāne Mahuta.
Phillimore was arrested near Hastings and charged with murder on the same day.
Bright is described by friends as kind, generous and creative, and actively involved in the Hokianga communities of Waimamaku and Kohukohu – where she used to live.
Phillimore, whose name suppression lapsed on Thursday, also lived in Waimamaku, according to court documents.
