Woman accused of child assault seeks further name suppression

File photo / NZ Herald

The name of a woman facing two charges of assaulting a child has been suppressed for a further day while a High Court judge considers whether to grant her leave to take her suppression issue to the Court of Appeal.

The woman is charged with assaulting a boy in Whangarei between January 1 and December 31, 2010, and assaulting the same boy with intent to injure him on June 1, 2011.

She has elected trial by jury.

She appealed last week against a refusal of name suppression at a previous appearance in Gisborne District Court. The appeal was heard in the High Court at Gisborne, where she had been living.

Justice Woolford, in declining the High Court appeal, said name suppression would serve no purpose in terms of preventing a "tainting" of the jury pool.

The accused had a high media profile and any jury selected would undoubtedly know of her background.

"I do not agree that it will be impossible for the jurors to put aside everything they have previously heard about the appellant and to decide the case solely on the evidence they hear in trial, if her name is published in conjunction with the charges she now faces," Justice Woolford said last week.

Justice Brewer, acting yesterday as duty judge in the absence of Justice Woolford, made an oral order half an hour before interim suppression was to lapse, further extending suppression until noon on Friday.

"The purpose is to enable me to have time to properly consider the application for leave to appeal. I intend to give my decision on the matter before noon tomorrow."

The woman has been remanded on bail to appear in Whangarei District Court on February 15 for a post-committal conference.