Woman in court charged with murder

A woman charged this week with assaulting a man who later died in hospital has now appeared in court charged with murder.

The 45-year-old woman was initially charged with assaulting Tom Joseph Rihia, 56, on Tuesday, in his house in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill.

She appeared in Auckland District Court today charged with murder, and interim name suppression was granted until April 21.

The woman was remanded in custody and no application for bail was made.

She first appeared in court on Wednesday and was granted name suppression.

She was bailed to a Mangere address and granted name suppression at her first court appearance but appeared again yesterday charged with breaching her bail conditions.

Her lawyer, Quentin Duff, told Judge David Harvey yesterday two people she was not supposed to associate with arrived at her house as she slept.

Police said the scene examination at Mr Rihia's May Rd address was expected to finish today.

- NZPA