Ashburton double murder trial delayed
The trial of Russell John Tully, accused of two Ashburton murders and two attempted murders, has been delayed to next year after a hearing in the High Court at Christchurch today.
The three-week trial had been set to start on Monday but Justice Cameron Mander decided after hearing legal submissions today that it could not go ahead yet.
The details of the submissions by 49-year-old Tully, amicus curiae (friend of the court) Tony Greig, and Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae from Timaru, were all suppressed.
Tully is accused of murdering Peggy Turuhira Noble and Susan Leigh Cleveland in a shooting at the WINZ office in Ashburton on September 1, 2014, and the attempted murder of two other WINZ employees. He has pleaded not guilty.
He appeared at today’s hearing by video-link from Christchurch Men’s Prison.
Justice Mander suppressed publication of the submissions but said he would give a written decision later in which reporting of some other details may be allowed.
No new trial date has yet been set.
Category: News
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