The man accused of murdering Epsom couple Herman and Elizabeth Bangera has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

The accused was also charged with the attempted murder of a third person after the fatal stabbings on March 19.

Today in the High Court at Auckland he appeared by audiovisual link from a psychiatric clinic.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, sat at a desk, and wrote a few notes down when his next court dates were read out.

A trial is scheduled to start on April 26 next year, lasting three weeks.

He has name suppression and his next hearing will be a case review on August 5.

The man was remanded in custody at a psychiatric clinic after the central Auckland homicide.