Woman killed in Onehunga bus stabbing named, murder-accused appears in court

A man charged with the murder of woman on a bus in Onehunga has appeared in court.

Meanwhile, the woman who died has been identified as Auckland woman Bernice Louise Marychurch.

Marychurch suffered multiple stab wounds while on a moving bus on Church Street, and died at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

Kael Leona, 37, is charged with her murder, and appeared in the Auckland District Court in front of Judge Steve Bonnar on Friday morning.

He will next appear in the Auckland High Court on 13 November on the charge of murder, and three other charges, which were allegedly committed afterwards, but are unrelated.

They are burglary, strangulation, and threatening to kill.

He also will appear on 15 November in the Auckland District Court on two breach of release conditions and two charges of obstructing police.

Leona did not apply for name suppression.

Acting Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson said police will continue to be visible at transport hubs across Auckland this weekend.

Auckland Transport has also announced that extra transport officers have been deployed to the route the bus was taking when the incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon.

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board chair Maria Meredith told Morning Report the Onehunga community had been on edge after another death in the Auckland suburb in August.

There was relief in the community that a man had handed himself in to police regarding the incident, she said.

Meanwhile, officers working on the inquiry would still like to hear from anyone who witnessed the attack.