Further delay in pre trial for Peter Beckett

A pre-trial hearing for a former Napier man accused of murdering his wife in Canada has been adjourned.

Ex-Napier city councillor Peter Beckett, 56, was due to stand trial at Salmon Arm Provincial Court for the murder of his wife Laura Letts-Beckett, allegedly by pushing her off a boat in August 2010.

The pre-trial opened on Tuesday but was adjourned until June 11 so Beckett could further consult his counsel, a court spokesman said.

Mrs Letts-Beckett, 50, died near Shelter Bay, about 50km south of Revelstoke in British Columbia. She was originally thought to have drowned after falling from a boat while fishing with her husband because she could not swim and was not wearing a life jacket.

But after a year-long investigation, Beckett was arrested in August 2011. A further investigation resulted in charges of counselling to commit murder, with Beckett's alleged targets including his wife's parents, a policeman and a lawyer, revelstoketimesreview.com in Vancouver reported.

Beckett was a Napier city councillor from 1998 to 2001, and ran a tourism business.