New sex charge against Blessie murder accused

Blessie Gotingco.

The man accused of murdering Auckland woman Blessie Gotingco has had a charge of sexual violation laid against him today.

There is heavy suppression covering the identity of the 27-year-old defendant, who did not appear at the High Court in Auckland this morning when the charge was added.

Mrs Gotingco, a 56-year-old mother of three, was last seen leaving her workplace, Tower Insurance in the CBD, about 7pm on May 24.

She took a bus from Lower Albert St to Birkdale Rd and it is thought she was walking the short distance home when she encountered her alleged attacker.

He lived within a couple of kilometres from Mrs Gotingco's Salisbury Rd home and less than a kilometre from the bus stop she got off at.

Mrs Gotingco's body was found in an area of bush at the Birkenhead-Glenfield cemetery on Eskdale Rd.

The man accused of her murder has pleaded not guilty to the charges and looks set to go to trial in March.

There have been dozens of Gotingco family supporters at most of his appearances but today a victim adviser was on hand to inform them of the outcome of the brief hearing.