Taranaki man accused of murdering his wife on Valentine’s Day unfit to stand trial

Levonne Wensor, 48, was found dead at her New Plymouth home on February 14, 2022. Photo / Tara Shaskey

A man accused of murdering his wife on Valentine’s Day has been found unfit to stand trial and will now be detained as a special patient.

Henry Joseph Wensor was charged with murder (stabbing/cutting weapon) after his wife Levonne Kaye Wensor was found dead at their href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/new-plymouth/" target="_blank">New Plymouth home on February 14, 2022.

Wensor was arrested at the house shortly after the 48-year-old’s death.

Today, a two-week trial was scheduled to begin in the High Court at New Plymouth but, instead, Wensor appeared via audio-visual link from a mental health facility for a disposition hearing.

Justice Dale La Hood found the 50-year-old unfit to stand trial and was satisfied that a special patient order was necessary.

He said that if Wensor was certified later as being fit to stand trial, the Attorney General would decide whether he returned to court to face the charge.

Justice La Hood suppressed most of today’s proceedings, attended by several of Levonne’s family, and will issue a ruling in the coming weeks on what could be reported.

It is understood Levonne worked as a receptionist at a kindergarten and court documents state Wensor was a builder.

They have two children and a grandchild.

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.