Murder trial starts in Whangārei for Northlander

Samuel Hemuera Pou in the High Court at Whangārei where his trial on a charge of murder got underway this morning. Photo / Tania Whyte

The trial has begun in the High Court at Whangārei of a Northlander accused of murdering a woman.

Samuel Hemuera Pou, 58, has been charged with the murder of 43-year-old Bridget Odelle Simmonds while another man, 32-year-old Te Koha Samuel Pou, of Otaika, is facing a charge of using her bank card three days after she was reported missing by her family.

He is also charged with being an accessory after the fact.

The murder charge comes after the body of Simmonds was excavated at a rural property at Parakao, 40km west of Whangarei, on June 12, 2020.

Police converged on the 20ha block of land on Wilson Rd, 40km west of Whangārei, after new information came to light which caused investigators to believe foul play was involved in the disappearance of the mother of two.

Samuel Pou, from Otangarei, is charged that between February 23, 2019, and March 14, 2019, he murdered Simmonds.

In April, Samuel Pou pleaded guilty to four charges of inj with intent to injure and one of wounding with intent to cause GBH.

They related to Simmonds and another woman.

A Northlander accused of murdering Bridget Simmonds is on trial in the High Court at Whangārei. Photo / Supplied

Justice Christine Gordon has made the opening remarks to the jury of six men and six women and Crown prosecutor Mike Smith will open the case for the Crown at 1.40pm.

The trial is set down for three weeks.

Simmonds' mother dropped her at Countdown supermarket in the Regent on her way to Auckland for the weekend on February 23, 2019.

Simmonds was reported missing on March 6 after all communication with her family stopped.