Man to plead not guilty: counsel

THE Dunedin health professional accused of murdering a 16yearold girl will plead not guilty when he next appears in court.

The 30yearold defendant, who allegedly killed teenager AmberRose Rush on February 2, appeared in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday where four counts of threatening to kill were added to the murder charge.

No formal plea was entered but counsel Marie TaylorCyphers indicated her client would deny the allegations.

The defendant appeared before Justice Gerald Nation, who granted name suppression until a hearing in two weeks.

Ms TaylorCyphers said she was still awaiting significant disclosure from the police (DVDs), in support of the application to keep her client’s identity under wraps.

She also highlighted the four new charges laid yesterday, which she had not yet discussed with the defendant.

Ms TaylorCyphers confirmed to the court that she would apply for electronically monitored bail on behalf of her client at the next hearing.

Police at the time said the man was known to the victim and they were not seeking anyone else.

AmberRose was found dead by family members at her Corstorphine home the day after her alleged murder.

Her mother, Lisa Ann, voiced her heartache on social media.

‘‘How do I put into words what you mean to me my baby girl. You are literally my other half, my soul, my heart, my everything,’’ she wrote.

In the following days, police launched a search of waterways at Blackhead and later confirmed they found ‘‘an item of interest’’.

They then asked for public sightings of a silver BMW travelling between Dunedin and Balclutha in the early hours of February 3.

AmberRose’s funeral had been held on February 10.

She was described as the ‘‘life of the party’’, who pretended to be tough but was a ‘‘marshmallow’’ inside.

The defendant was remanded in custody and would be back in court for a case review hearing on March 6.

A provisional trial date of March 18, 2019, was set by the court.

Supporters of AmberRose told the man to ‘‘get used to it’’ when he was led away to the cells.