KEY POINTS:
A Canterbury man has appeared in court charged with the murder of his ex-partner.
Looking unkempt after days of evidently living rough in the farmland of North Canterbury, Ross Simon Fraser made a two-minute appearance in Rangiora District Court
Judge Paul Kellar remanded him in custody for four weeks to March 25 at the request of the police, the Christchurch Court News website reported.
Fraser, a 43-year-old shearer, was arrested last night after a week on the run following the discovery of the body Jo-anne Thompson, 46, at the couple's Waiau home on February 16.
She was found dead in the bathroom of the house after what police described as a "prolonged and horrific attack".
Her body was found after neighbours checked the house when they noticed her young children, aged four and six, wandering outside.
- NZPA
