At the high court in Whangārei today, the woman’s new lawyer Marie Dyhrberg entered not guilty pleas on behalf of her client who appeared via audio-visual link from a secure facility.
The woman appeared fresh-faced with her hair pulled back and she was engaged in the court process.
A section 38 report prepared on whether the woman is fit to stand trial has been submitted to the court, with the report writer saying they are of the opinion she is fit to plea and fit to stand trial.
The report writer said since she has been in custody, her mental health issues have come under control.
Justice Timothy Brewer said a hearing for her fitness would not be required and the only issue now would be whether she was insane at the time of offending.
Further reports have been called to investigate whether she was insane at the time of the alleged homicides which are expected to take up to three months due to a shortage of qualified psychiatrists.
A three-week trial has been set for March 10, 2025, and name suppression continues until her case review hearing date in November.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/Ngātiwai/Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked freelance in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
