Malcolm Rewa retrial: Jury ponders fate of missing cockatoo

Justice Geoffrey Venning told the jurors not to concern themselves with the missing bird. Photo / Michael Craig

The jury hearing the retrial of serial rapist Malcolm Rewa has queried the fate of a missing cockatoo seen in some of the crime scene photos.

Today is the third day of the trial in the High Court at Auckland for the now 65-year-old accused of murdering Susan Burdett in 1992.

This afternoon, however, the jurors turned their attention to something they had seen in the nearly 30-year-old photos.

A question was put to the presiding judge, Justice Geoffrey Venning.

The jurors wanted to know what had happened to a cockatoo which can be seen inside a cage in some of the evidential photos.

In other photos the cage was empty, the jury said.

So what happened to the bird?

The chief High Court judge addressed the question and said simply no one had thought to think of the fate of the cockatoo.

"But please put that to one side," Justice Venning said. "I'm sure the fate of the cockatoo is fine."

"Police will make inquiries," he said.

An answer is expected tomorrow as the trial continues.