A man charged with the murder of a woman in Merivale last month is also facing charges of sexually violating her and taking her car.
The name of the alleged victim, Nicole Marie Tuxford, can now be reported after the suppression order on her name was lifted today, at the request of her family.
The Crown also did not seek to continue suppression of two charges the man also faces – sexual violation of the woman and unlawfully taking her car – and Justice Gerald did not renew those orders in a decision which included a long list of suppression orders.
The suppression on those two charges was imposed at the man’s first appearance in the Christchurch District Court two days after the alleged murder.
The date of May 6, 2019, was set for the man’s trial by Justice Nation at a pre-trial call-over in the High Court at Christchurch today.
The 54-year-old Aranui man denies murdering the 27-year-old woman and the charge of aggravated burglary in which he is accused of using a knife as a weapon when he allegedly burgled a house in Exeter Street, Merivale.
The woman was found dead at a house in Exeter Street and the police were called at 11.40am on the day of the alleged murder.
The nature of the suppression orders cannot be reported, but they include the man’s name.
After the trial date was set, Justice Nation remanded the case for another pre-trial call-over on June 29.
Ruth Buddicom and Linda Drummond appeared as defence counsel; Pip Currie as Crown prosecutor.
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