Man accused of joint rape may lose name suppression

A 37-year-old man jointly accused with a woman of committing a series of rapes in Hamilton over six months may lose his name suppression tomorrow.

The man, who initially appeared in Hamilton District Court with his 32-year-old co-accused on Saturday, appeared briefly on his own in the same court this afternoon.

Judge Robert Spier declined an application from defence lawyer Nitin Deobhakta for the man to have continued name suppression, ruling that interim suppression would end at noon tomorrow.

But Mr Deobhakta told NZPA after the court hearing that he was considering an appeal against the ruling.

Judge Spier ordered that the reasons sought for continued name suppression could not be published, but he said they were "not proper grounds for continuing interim suppression and thus removing the right of the public to know what work has been conducted in their courts.

"What I can do is provide some measure of comfort to the defendant so there will be an order for suppression which will expire at 12 midday tomorrow."

The man was charged with four counts of sexual violation dating from last July to January, and one charge of doing an indecent act in a public place last July.

The female defendant faces the same four sexual violation charges. The pair also face cannabis charges but these were not detailed in court today.

He was remanded in custody and she is on bail - both to reappear in the district court on March 2.

Mr Deobhakta lodged an application for his client to be released on electronically monitored bail.

The pair were arrested on a rural property between Hamilton and Cambridge late on Friday night.

Detective Senior Sergeant Andy BuBear said today the number of alleged victims from the pair's activities over the past six months had risen from three to four women.

Police allege that drunken young women in Hamilton were lured into the back of a vehicle, before being raped.

Mr BuBear said police were keen to hear from others "who may have fallen victim to the pair's activities".

- NZPA