Amber-Rose murder-accused again denied bail

A Dunedin doctor accused of the murder of a Dunedin teen has been denied electronically-monitored bail for the second time.

Venod Skantha (30) is charged with the murder of 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush, who was found dead in her Corstorphine home on February 2.

Skantha – then a doctor at Dunedin Hospital – was charged days later and granted permanent name suppression.

Dunedin health professional Venod Skantha accused of murdering Amber-Rose Rush (16) appears in the Dunedin High Court in March. Photo/ ODT

That lapsed in May after he had pleaded not guilty to the charge, as well as a count of indecent assault and four of threatening to kill.

Skantha appeared before the High Court at Dunedin this morning where he applied for electronically-monitored bail.

Justice Cameron Mander reserved his decision at the close of the hearing but released his ruling hours later declining electronically-monitored bail.

A similar application was made in April and Justice Gerald Nation also refused bail on that occasion.

Defence and Crown counsel made extensive submissions about the case and strength of the evidence but no details can be published, so fair trial rights can be preserved.
The Medical Council database says Skantha graduated from the University of Auckland in 2014.

The website previously said he was registered to practise medicine in the position of "house officer" at the Southern District Health Board.

His practising certificate was due to lapse in February but his record no longer appears online.

After Skantha's name became public, Amber-Rose's mother Lisa Ann told the Otago Daily Times she remained inconsolable.

"I can't deal with this on top of the loss of my child. I don't think anyone understands," she said.

Amber Rose Rush (right) and her mother Lisa Ann in this undated photograph.

Three weeks later, Rush was also found dead. Police said the circumstances were not suspicious and it is believed to be a suspected suicide.

In the days following Amber-Rose's death, police launched a search of waterways at Blackhead.

They later confirmed they had found "an item of interest". They then asked for public sightings of a silver BMW travelling between Dunedin and Balclutha early on February 3.

Skantha is scheduled to appear in court again later this month. His trial is set down for March next year.