Murderer lays charges against witnesses

Stephen Hudson. File photo / Supplied

Convicted murderer Stephen Hudson has filed private prosecutions against witnesses who gave evidence against him at his trial last year.

Hudson was jailed for a minimum of 16 years for the 2002 murder of Palmerston North man Nicholas Pike, whose body has never been found.

He has now laid charges against 13 witnesses from his trial relating to perjury or perverting the course of justice, Radio New Zealand reported.

Yesterday at Wellington District Court the defendants' lawyer Val Nisbet applied for interim name suppression, which Hudson opposed because he said some of the people did not have reputations they needed to protect.

However, Judge Ian Mill granted interim name suppression.

Mr Nisbet told the court the charges were an abuse of process and said the Solicitor-General was considering a stay of the prosecutions.

The matter has been remanded until March.

Last month Hudson was granted leave by the Supreme Court to appeal his murder conviction.

- NZPA