Trial of pair charged with stupefying girl aborted

The jury trial of a Blenheim couple accused of stupefying and sexually violating a young girl has been aborted.

Judge David McKegg called a halt to the trial yesterday afternoon after spending most of the day listening to legal arguments from Crown prosecutor Janine Bonifant and defence lawyers Gary Sawyer and Mike Turner in chambers.

Mid-afternoon, Judge McKegg called the jury back in and announced the trial had reached a stage where it could not proceed, although he suppressed his reasons for doing so.

The accused couple face joint charges of stupefying and sexual violation, while the man faces a further charge of sexual violation, three of indecent assault and one of inducing a girl to do an indecent act.

The woman faces a further charge of inducing a girl to do an indecent act.

Judge McKegg continued their name suppression and remanded them on bail until May 10 when a new trial date would be set.

- nzpa