Man accused of murdering baby Hope granted bail

A man has appeared in the Nelson District Court charged with the murder of a 5-month-old baby. Photo / Tracy Neal

The man accused of murdering a 5-month-old baby in Southland has been granted bail to live with relatives on strict conditions.

Police arrested a man this morning and charged him in relation to the murder of Hope Elizabeth McFall-Schultz.

Hope died in January after being sent to Starship children's hospital in a critical condition. A decision was made to turn off her life support days later.

It was earlier reported that Hope spent the first months of her life in the neonatal unit at Dunedin Hospital after she was born at 27 weeks, on August 25 last year.

"She [Hope] was a wee angel," her grandmother, Sharon Schultz, told the Otago Daily Times.

The man was granted interim name suppression when he appeared in the Nelson District Court this afternoon.

The lawyer assigned to the matter, Michael Vesty, sought bail on several grounds, which police did not oppose.

Judge Tony Zohrab said having heard the lawyer and having read the affidavit from the man's family that bail was appropriate on a set of strict conditions.

The man was remanded on bail to appear in the High Court on April 5, when it was possible name suppression would lapse.

Detective sergeant Mark McCloy today thanked the Invercargill community and Hope's family for their assistance and patience during this investigation.