Man accused of attempted murder can be identified after interim name suppression lapses

Interim name suppression expired when Richard Malcolm appeared via AVL in the High Court at Whanganui on Friday charged with attempted murder. Photo / Bevan Conley

A man arrested by armed police and charged with attempted murder can now be named.

Interim name suppression lapsed for Richard Malcolm when he appeared before Justice Rebecca Ellis in the High Court at Whanganui on Friday.

Malcolm was arrested by police including the Armed Offenders Squad, detectives and a dog unit on August 24, on Caius Ave, in the Whanganui suburb of Gonville.

Police had been searching for Malcolm since July 19, in relation to a family harm incident in the city.

Defence lawyer Jamie Waugh entered a not guilty plea to the charge on behalf of his client, who has been in custody since his arrest and appeared via AVL.

Waugh also conceded there were no grounds for name suppression to continue.

A date for a two-week jury trial in the High Court was set down to begin on September 25, 2023 and Justice Ellis remanded Malcolm in custody to reappear on November 18, for a case review hearing.

On Tuesday a further 11 charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, behaving threateningly, breaching a protection order, failing to stop for police, failing to remain stopped, driving while disqualified, two charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, and three of theft were laid in the district court.

Malcolm did not enter pleas to the charges and was remanded to reappear on those on October 4.