Woman charged after suspicious Napier death

Photo / File

A woman has been charged with assault after the suspicious death of a 69-year-old woman in her Napier home.

Meanwhile, Palmerston North police are also treating as suspicious the death of a male at an address in Woodville, Southern Hawke's Bay, yesterday.

Hawke's Bay CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Darren Pritchard said police were investigating the death of a woman at her home on Kennedy Rd, Onekawa, last Sunday night.

A 52-year-old woman had since been arrested and charged with assault in relation to the incident. "Someone has been charged with assault on that woman, who has since died.

"She has appeared in Hastings District Court."

The alleged offender appeared in Hastings District Court last Tuesday and has been granted name suppression. It had not yet been confirmed where the alleged offender was from. Mr Pritchard said police were following positive lines of inquiry in their investigation, which was ongoing.

"[The investigation] is progressing nicely."

Further details were expected to be released tomorrow morning.

Mr Pritchard said it had been a busy holiday period for police in Hawke's Bay.

"We have been kept busy, it hasn't been totally violence-free."

Palmerston North Police are also investigating the suspicious death of a male at a residential address in Ormond Street, Woodville.

Police were called to the address at about 3pm yesterday and witnesses were being spoken to.

A post-mortem examination of the male's body was due today.

Central District Detective Inspector Chris Bensemann said the investigation was "in its early stages" and police were unable to make further comment on the circumstances of the death."