Suppression stays for baby murder accused

File photo / NZH

A judge this afternoon ruled that name suppression should continue for a 28-year-old woman accused of murdering her newborn baby.

After a closed-court hearing this afternoon, Christchurch District Court Judge David Saunders said that the woman should have interim suppression until the first High Court pre-trial conference which will follow her committal.

The committal for trial is now set for February 18 and the woman remains in psychiatric care at Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital in the meantime.

A psychiatric report has been completed during a series of remands since the woman's first court appearance on December 8, on a charge of murdering a baby born in October or November.

The completion of the report prompted today's review of the suppression situation.

Judge Saunders suppressed all the submissions made in closed court by defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger, but allowed some aspects of his ruling to be reported.

He said he thought the first pre-trial conference in the High Court, when the case passed into the hands of the court that would determine the matter, was the appropriate time for a formal review of the interim suppression order.

He was aware of the public interest in matters where such a serious charge was involved, but there was also a fundamental right of the accused to a fair trial, and it was evident that the woman was not in good mental health at present.

The woman is listed as unemployed, and was living at a township near Christchurch at the time of her arrest.

- NZPA