Pair accused of murder at motel lose name suppression

More than 20 family and friends of Woodford’s packed the public gallery and, at the end of the case, hurled abuse towards the audiovisual screens.

Two men charged with the murder of Ryan Woodford at a Taupo¯ emergency housing motel have lost their fight to keep their names secret.

Marty Durham, 40, and Teina Williams, 31, appeared via audio-visual link in the High Court at Rotorua yesterday morning charged with murder, and Justice Graham Lang lifted their interim name suppression.

The two men are accused of murdering Woodford, 30, on March 6.

They have both entered not guilty pleas to the joint charge.

More than 20 family and friends of Woodford’s packed the public gallery and, at the end of the case, hurled abuse towards the audio-visual screens.

The lawyers for Durham and Williams, Moana Dorset and Gerald Walsh, asked Justice Lang to continue name suppression because identity was going to be a factor in the pair’s trial.

Dorset said there should be an abundance of caution until she was in a better position to review the Crown’s evidence and asked that name suppression be continued until at least the next callover.

Crown solicitor Amanda Gordon disagreed, saying she did not think naming the men would impinge their right to a fair trial.

Justice Lang declined media applications to photograph the men in court yesterday and at future callovers but said there was no reason they could not be named.

He remanded them in custody to reappear for a callover on September 2 at 9am and a following callover on November 4.

He set a trial for three weeks starting on July 17 next year.

Police were called to the Adelphi Motel on the corner of Kaimanawa and Heuheu Streets about 6.30am on March 6 following a report a man had been injured.

Emergency services attended and first aid was carried out, however Woodford died at the scene.

Woodford was originally from Pahiatua but had been living at the motel in central Taupo¯ at the time, police said previously.