Murder trial jury fails to reach verdict

A man accused of murdering his wife faces a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict at the weekend.

Chander Singh Rathod, of Waipukerau, pleaded not guilty in the High Court at Napier to murdering his wife Suguna Chilamakuru 15 months ago.

Judge Alan MacKenzie discharged the jury at 2.30pm on Saturday after deciding the 11 jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether the 44-year-old man was guilty of murder, manslaughter or legally insane when he inflicted the blows that killed his wife.

The jury began deliberations at 11am on Friday morning and when they had not made a decision by 10pm on Friday night they were sent home and deliberations began again on Saturday morning.

The crown alleges Rathod beat Miss Chilamakuru repeatedly with a baseball bat, first around her body and then her head, before strangling her and eventually killing her.

Defence lawyer Steve Manning argued that at the time Rathod inflicted the blows around Miss Chilamakuru's head he was legally insane and morally incapable of knowing what he was doing was wrong.

This is the second time a jury in the case has been discharged without a verdict being made.

On October 4 last year Rathod collapsed in the dock of the High Court in Napier and Justice Goddard abandoned the trial because of the defendant's obvious ill-health.

Rathod has been in hospital since October 4 and was remanded back there until July 19 when he will reappear in the High Court in Napier for a new trial date to be set.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY