Two Rotorua women - a midwife and another woman who holds a position of responsibility - have appeared in court accused of blackmailing a man for $4000 with nude photographs of him. The pair appeared before Justice Rodney Harrison in the High Court at Rotorua yesterday when name suppression was liftedfor one of them. However, before going to print The Daily Post received a fax from lawyers saying they were appealing Justice Harrison's ruling. Justice Harrison had said there was no reason for the women's identity to be kept secret any longer. One of the women is Rotorua midwife Kaycee Te Aomarama Wall, 29. Wall and a 39-year-old woman, who cannot be identified, are jointly charged with burglary, intentional damage and blackmail. The 39-year-old is also charged with unlawfully accessing a website to steal $1000 from the same complainant. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face jointly and will stand trial at the end of the year. They are accused of breaking into the man's house and intentionally damaging bedding and clothing belonging to him on November 3 last year. It is also alleged that between November 4 and 6, they threatened to expose nude photographs of him if he didn't pay them $4000. Lawyer Bill Lawson, who was representing both women on behalf of lawyers Andy Schulze and Max Simpkins, requested name suppression continue for the 39-year-old as her parents were ill and her job was at risk. Justice Harrison said these weren't good enough reasons for name suppression to continue and dismissed the application. A trial date has been set down for three days for the pair starting on December 6 in the High Court at Rotorua. The Daily Post understands the 39-year-old woman has been stood down from her job until the charges are resolved. The two women have been remanded on bail to appear back in the court on June 3 for any pre-trial issues to be resolved.
