Waikato woman charged with attempted murder of toddler

A 33-year-old woman appeared via audio visual link in the High Court at Hamilton this morning. Photo / Belinda Feek

A Waikato woman was granted interim name suppression after appearing in court charged with the attempted murder of a toddler.

The 33-year-old appeared via audio-visual link in the High Court at Hamilton this morning after an alleged incident in a small Waikato town involving the toddler, aged 3 or 4, last Tuesday.

It’s understood the offending involved the use of a weapon.

A police spokesperson said officers conducted inquiries after a toddler arrived at hospital with “critical injuries”.

The woman was subsequently arrested.

The woman’s lawyer Ann-Marie Beveridge told Justice Neil Campbell that given she only first appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Friday, before the matter was transferred to the High Court today, she had not yet had time to discuss matters with her client so couldn’t put forward a plea or a bail application yet.

The accused was currently being held in mental health custody at Te Whatu Ora Waikato.

Two members of her family were in court for her appearance.

Beveridge successfully asked for suppression to continue until she reappeared in court and indicated a bail application could be made at a later date.

Justice Campbell agreed to remand the woman in custody without plea and continued her interim name suppression.

She will reappear in the High Court at Hamilton in two weeks.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20.