Teresa accompanied by man with 'Charles Manson eyes', court told

3.00pm - By JO-MARIE BROWN

UPDATE - A woman who saw Napier schoolgirl Teresa Cormack shortly before she disappeared 15 years ago, says the six-year-old was accompanied by a Rastafarian-looking man whose eyes were like those of notorious US killer Charles Manson.

The woman was giving evidence this morning in a depositions hearing at the Napier District court.

Jules Pierre Nicholas Mikus is charged with abducting, sexually violating and murdering Teresa on June 19, 1987.

Judge Mark Perkins will decide whether there is enough evidence for the 43-year-old accused to stand trial.

Six-year-old Teresa disappeared on her way to Richmond School, in suburban Maraenui, and her body was found in a shallow grave at Whirinaki Beach, north of Napier, eight days later.

Teresa's family and members of the public today heard evidence given by a former National Insurance employee who saw the little girl with a man the morning she disappeared.

Brianna Smith, who now lives in Australia, recalled driving down Riverbend Road near Teresa's home when the six-year-old ran out in front of her car.

A Rastafarian-looking man holding a school bag was with Teresa but made no attempt to hold her back as Mrs Smith's car approached.

"I didn't expect that type of person to be with a child," Mrs Smith said.

"The child looked well-cared for, well-looked after and he was just like a street person with a child...it didn't fit the whole picture."

Mrs Smith phoned police when Teresa was reported missing and helped draw up an identikit picture.

She had described the man as a pale-skinned Maori, with long, unkempt hair. She was unsure about certain details but his eyes had particularly struck her.

"I knew there was something about the eyes. They were horrible. They were steel. They looked awful...they are Charles Manson eyes."

Also in court this morning, prosecutor Russell Collins said that Jules Mikus lived in Napier in June 1987 and was interviewed by a detective on July 9.

Asked where he was on the day Teresa disappeared, Mikus told police he had been at the Social Welfare Department's office between 9:30am and 10am. He then went home and returned to the office again at around 1:30pm to collect a cheque.

Mikus was asked by police to provide a blood sample and saliva sample and subsequently gave a further sample when he was arrested in Lower Hutt in February this year.

Details of the DNA test results, presented in court this morning, have been suppressed.

Mr Collins said Mikus was interviewed again on July 10 by police when he was asked why he had painted his Vauxhall Viva car and replied that he had always planned to paint it.

The evidence of 29 witnesses will be called during the depositions hearing which is expected to last three days.