Kaikohe accused faces court
The man accused of 71-year-old Linda Woods’ manslaughter has appeared in the Kaikohe District Court.
The man, who has been granted interim name suppression, was dressed in a blue boiler suit and looked down throughout his appearance on Wednesday last week.
Whānau of the 52-year-old man shouted ‘‘we still love you’’ as he was led away from court.
He appeared before Judge Greg Davis and was remanded in custody without a plea until his next appearance in the High Court at Whangā rei on June 23.
Defence counsel Catherine Cull did not seek bail for the man but she did apply for interim name suppression on his behalf.
Although the judge initially said – since Kaikohe was a ‘‘small community where rumours, gossip and innuendo are rife’’ – he would not grant the defendant name suppression, he accepted Cull’s argument an interim order should be granted until the man’s next court appearance.
‘‘It’s important inappropriate speculation is not cast in relation to those who live in the vicinity of the deceased,’’ Judge Davis said.
The interim order will remain in place until June 23.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Russell Price only sought to suppress the draft summary of facts, which Judge Davis granted.
‘‘This is an active inquiry, with more inquiries ongoing,’’ Price said.
Across Kaikohe last Wednesday, Woods’ whānau gathered for her nehu (burial) at Aperahama Church at midday, after a private ceremony at the family home.
A 10-strong motorbike escort accompanied Woods to the church, with Chris Stapleton’s song Tennessee Whiskey blaring from speakers. More than 100 mourners wore purple in tribute to Woods, as cars honked their horns and flashed their lights.
Kaikohe-Hokianga councillor John Vujcich said he hoped Wednesday would bring ‘‘closure to Linda’s family’’.
‘‘We’re a small community, and the past week has been very upsetting for all of us. A lot of people knew Linda – me included – so the whole thing has been truly tragic,’’ Vujcich told Stuff.
Police previously said Woods was ‘‘attempting to intervene to assist her family members who were also inside the property’’ when she died on June 1.
Police said they were called to the home on Taraire St at 11.41pm after reports an intruder was found inside the property.
A struggle took place after a man was discovered in one of the occupants’ bedrooms, they said.
It’s understood Woods shared the home with four generations of her whā nau, all of whom are female. Police said they believed this could have been why the offender targeted Woods’ home.
On Monday last week, police announced they had made a ‘‘significant breakthrough’’ in the case, after DNA from the offender had been located at the scene.
Police said they would be going ‘‘door to door’’ to try to ‘‘generate as much information as we can’’, as well as collecting DNA samples to find a match to the offender.
Last Tuesday morning, a scene guard, detectives and forensics officers could be seen coming and going from a property just four doors down from Woods’ home.
By the afternoon, police had announced that a 52-year-old man had been arrested in relation to Woods’ death.
Although police said they weren’t seeking anyone else in relation to the death, they said they would be continuing to make inquiries.
Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston thanked the community for their co-operation throughout the investigation, and said that police were ‘‘pleased’’ to have brought a ‘‘resolution’’ to Woods’ whā nau.
‘‘Her death was a tragedy, and we know that this has been felt deeply throughout the community,’’ Johnston said.
‘‘We hope this arrest will bring some comfort to both Linda’s family and to the wider community in Kaikohe.’’