Angela Blackmoore case: Accused pleads not guilty to murder

Angela Blackmoore died 24 years ago.

The trial for a woman who today denied the 1995 murder of Christchurch mother Angela Blackmoore will not be heard until at least 2021.

A packed public gallery at the High Court in Christchurch this morning heard a 47-year-old woman charged with killing Blackmoore 24 years ago enter a plea of not guilty through her lawyer Andrew Bailey.

A trial date has been allocated for February 15, 2021, Justice Cameron Mander said. It will be confirmed in the New Year, he added.

The woman, who still has interim name suppression, was remanded in custody to another callover hearing on December 13 this year. She will apply for electronically-monitored bail later this month.

A 45-year-old man, who also has interim name suppression, has also been charged with Blackmoore's murder.

He appeared in court via audio visual link from prison today.

However, his defence counsel Donald Matthews asked for more time before his client enters a plea.

He was also remanded to December 13 and will try for release on electronically-monitored bail next month.

A special name suppression hearing will be held on December 5.

Blackmoore was 21 years old and 10 weeks pregnant when she was killed in her Wainoni home. Her 2-year-old son was asleep in his room.

Blackmoore's partner at the time of her death, Laurie Anderson, was among the family and friends at court today.

"I can't wait to get to court and look them in the eye," Anderson told the Herald when the pair first appeared in court last month.

He discovered Blackmoore's body when he returned home from work on August 17, 1995.

Anderson was earlier full of praise for Detective Sergeant Todd Hamilton who has been across the case for many years.

"Twenty-four years we waited... to start this case."

In May this year, a record $100,000 reward was offered for information on the case.