Suppression lifted for murder accused

Amandeep Singh.

Name suppression has been lifted in the case of two women accused of murdering Indian national Amandeep Singh in Gisborne last year.

The pair are Crystal Louise Black, 26, wool classer, and Krystel Therese Pokai, 25, unemployed, both of Gisborne.

The women appeared in the High Court at Gisborne this morning in front of Justice Heath, via an audio-visual link.

The appearance was procedural only but during the short hearing, counsel DeAnne Nicoloso for Black and John Mathieson for Pokai said neither defendant sought an extension of the interim suppression order.

An order suppressing facts surrounding the case has also been lifted.

Each of the women is charged with murdering Mr Singh on December 30, attempting to pervert the course of justice, car conversion, theft and using a document to gain an advantage.

They were remanded further on existing bail terms to appear again in the court for another procedural hearing on September 20, at which date they are expected to be arraigned for formal pleas on the charges.

A jury trial has been scheduled for April 28 next year and is expected to take up to two weeks.

Police launched a homicide inquiry after Mr Singh's body was found in scrub near the closed road to the end of Kaiti Beach on the evening of January 24.

He had been missing since leaving his home on the evening of December 29.

- Gisborne Herald