Scott Guy case to be heard in Wellington

Ewen MacDonald has been accused of the murder of Feilding farmer Scott Guy. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The trial of the man accused of killing Feilding farmer Scott Guy will be moved to Wellington due to the risk of local jurors being influenced by speculation and rumours.

Mr Guy, 31, was gunned down in the driveway of his rural home in the early hours of July 8 last year as he set out to do the milking.

His brother-in-law, Ewen Kerry Macdonald, 32, was arrested in April this year after an intensive nine-month police investigation.

A pre-trial hearing was held at the High Court at Wellington on Tuesday to decide whether to move the trial from the Palmerston North jury district.

Justice Simon France this afternoon (Fri) released a decision granting an application to relocate the trial to Wellington.

"There are risks that jurors drawn from the Palmerston North jury district, including Feilding, will be influenced by the amount of speculation and rumour there has been about the case, and about Mr Macdonald and Mr Guy in particular,'' he said.

"It is also more likely that jurors from this district will possess information about the case or the participants. Some or indeed much of that information may well be incorrect and will for that reason not be led or addressed at trial."

Justice France said the relocation was granted to increase the probability the jury will not be influenced by those matters.

The trial had been set down for several weeks mid next year.

All other issues discussed at the pre-trial hearing were suppressed.

_APNZ