West Coast butcher accused of murdering wife

A West Coast butcher accused of murdering his wife on the West Coast at the weekend made no plea when he appeared briefly in Greymouth District Court yesterday.

Peter Lamont, 47, is charged with murdering Lindsay Jane Lamont.

Judge Michael Crosbie remanded him in custody until July 21, to give enough time for a psychiatric report to be done.

Lamont turned himself into at Greymouth police station about 10.30am Sunday.

Police then found Mrs Lamont's body at a house in Ikamatua, 54km northeast of Greymouth.

Lamont is well known on the West Coast, having moving from Scotland to Blackball in 2005.

For a short period he worked at the Blackball Salami Company, then as a butcher in Greymouth at New World supermarket.

In November 2006, Lamont bought the salami company, which he still runs.

Mrs Lamont, aged in her 40s, worked at the High Street Medical Centre in Greymouth and at Grey Base Hospital.

A neighbour of the couple told The Press newspaper the Lamonts had lived in Ikamatua for about a year and had a teenage daughter living with them.

Police were still guarding the property yesterday and the investigation is expected to continue into next week.

West Coast police are also investigating the death of publican David White, 42, who died early Friday after allegedly being hit in the head by a female customer at the Little Wanganui Hotel, about 75km north of Westport.

Officers have been brought in from Nelson to assist with the investigations.

- NZPA