Murder trial ends early

The trial of awhanganui man charged with murdering his partner, Jasminewilson, has been abandoned in the second week.

Zane Paorawallace, 29, pleaded not guilty of murderingwilson, 30.

The Whanganui mother of two died on August 2, 2019, in Wellington Hospital after being taken towhanganui Hospital on July 31, 2019.

The Crown alleged her death was the culmination of months of threats and violence.

The jury at the High Court in Wellington was told yesterday that the trial could not proceed because medical evidence was recently updated and needed further consideration that could not be done in the course of the current trial.

Wallace was remanded to appear in court again in July, Justice Jill Mallon said.

Wallace pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, along with 18 charges of threatening to cause grievous bodily harm, three charges of threatening to kill, one of demanding with menaces, and one of assaulting another woman.

The jury was told he formally admitted several other assaults, and inflicting injuries that resulted inwilson being taken to hospital.

But the jury of seven men and five women will continue hearing the case of Leeann Michelle Wallace, 49, who is Zanewallace’s mother.

She pleaded not guilty to one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice relating to the way Wilson was taken to hospital.

Her trial will resume tomorrow to allow for the rescheduling of witnesses.

The jury had sat through hours of phone calls Zanewallace had made towilson while he was in prison.

The judge said she was sorry they had to listen to them.

They should now put that all from their minds because Leeann Wallace played no part in those calls.

The original trial began on April 28 and had been expected to take five or six weeks.

It will now be much shorter. Wilson, a mother of two sons, never complained to police about the beatings she’d been receiving.