Police search river bank for evidence in farmer murder case

Police investigating the murder of Hawke's Bay farmer Jack Nicholas are this morning searching part of a riverbank for firearms and cartridges.

Detective Senior Sergeant Bill Gregory, who heads Napier CIB, said about six police were at a specific area of the Tukituki river searching for evidence in the slaying of Mr Nicholas who was shot dead at the gate of his Puketitiri farm property on August 27, 2004.

Mr Gregory said several cars were also expected to be searched today and more people would be spoken to in relation to the inquiry.

No further property searches were expected to be carried out today at this stage, he said.

Police would also continue their work preparing exhibits and undertaking forensic examinations, he said.

The work was a continuation of the work they had been undertaking for the past 20 months and despite the length of the investigation police had always been optimistic about a positive resolution to the case, he said.

A 49-year-old Haumoana man was remanded in custody after a short appearance in Napier District Court yesterday charged with perverting the course of justice.

The man, described as a labourer, was charged that between August 27 and November 10, 2004 he "procured a woman to wilfully attempt to pervert the course of justice by making a false statement to the police."

The charged man appeared today before Judge Oke Blaikie and was remanded in custody until April 26.


An interim name suppression order granted yesterday continues

- NZPA