By Sam Sherwood of RNZ

A man has pleaded not guilty to murdering a mother and her two children following an incident at a property in Hastings.

A homicide investigation, dubbed Operation Train, was launched after emergency services were called to a property on Avenue Rd East, about 6am on April 19, after reports of several people being seriously injured.

Three people died - a woman and her two children, a 3-month-old girl and a 17-month-old girl.

A 36-year-old man has been charged with murdering them.

The man appeared before Justice Karen Grau in the High Court at Napier today.

Through his lawyer he pleaded not guilty to the charges.…