Suppression goes to High Court

A woman accused of stealing more than $100,000 from a national disability support charity has appealed Judge John McDonald’s refusal to continue interim name suppression to the High Court.

The woman appeared in the Kaitaia District Court on March 29, charged with six representative charges of theft by a person in a special relationship, and one of obtaining by deception. The charges, involving just over $103,000, relate to alleged offending between 2012 and 2015.

The defendant had been granted interim name suppression at an earlier appearance, when she denied the charges and elected trial by a judge alone. The matter had been transferred to the Auckland District Court, but she appeared in Kaitaia again last week.

Judge McDonald declined an application for continued name suppression on March 29, and remanded her on bail until April 12. Duty solicitor Richard Parangi told the court that she would appeal the decision not to continue suppression to the High Court.

She was given until the close of business on Friday to lodge an appeal, which she did with about an hour to spare. Suppression will continue until the appeal is heard in Whangarei or Auckland, on a date yet to be set. She is currently on bail to appear in Kaitaia on June 14.

The prosecution told the Kaitaia court on Thursday that the trial could take five days, which might necessitate it being transferred to another court.