Man charged with murder

Woman dead, baby hurt in Christmas Eve tragedy

A 40-year-old man has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead at a Matamata property on Christmas Eve.

The woman’s baby was also injured during the incident and remains in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital.

Emergency services were called to the house, on State Highway 27, at 1pm on Monday.

The man was known to the woman and was arrested at the property, Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Ambler said in a statement.

He was to appear in the Hamilton District Court today and further charges may be possible.

Police were still at the scene – a beige one-storey house – at midday yesterday. A forensic team could be seen conducting a scene examination and a cordon was in place at the driveway.

The Tauranga-based owner of the property, which is rented, said he knew nothing of the incident and he was not personally acquainted with the tenants.

The property was managed by the rental management staff at LJ Hookers in Matamata.

Matamata-Piako mayor Jan Barnes said she first found out about the incident via the media.

‘‘All I can say is that it’s very tragic and there are no winners,’’ she said.

‘‘You don’t want to hear it at any time but it does make it doubly hard at this time of year.’’ She advised people to seek help if they needed it.

‘‘Please listen, we all need to listen and we need to watch out for each other.’’

A woman living nearby said police had been asking neighbours questions on Monday afternoon, but hadn’t told her what had happened.

It was usually a peaceful area, she said.

Graham Bax, the director of the neighbouring Blandford Lodge stud, told Stuff he saw the Westpac Rescue Helicopter arrive at the site of the incident, which was at the rear of his property.

He could also see ambulance and police vehicles shortly after the event. ‘‘There is a bit of activity going on,’’ he said on Monday.

Another neighbour believed a brother and sister lived at the rented property.

‘‘We have seen her pushing a pushchair with the baby in it down the driveway.

‘‘They haven’t been living there very long, a couple of months.’’

‘‘You don’t want to hear it at any time but it does make it doubly hard at this time of year.’’

Jan Barnes, mayor of Matamata-Piako

TOM LEE/STUFF Police at the scene of the homicide at a property on State Highway 27 in Matamata. Inset, left: People embrace at the property on Christmas Eve. Inset, right: Police cordon off the property.