Wednesday start for Ashburton double-murder trial
The start of the trial of Ashburton double-murder accused Russell John Tully has been further delayed until Wednesday morning.
The three-week trial of the 49-year-old had been scheduled to begin in the High Court at Christchurch today but the jury panel was initially told it would not be needed until Tuesday.
The court heard legal argument in closed court all day, and trial judge Justice Cameron Mander announced during the afternoon that it had been decided that the trial would not begin until Wednesday when empanelling of the jury will take place.
Tully has denied the murder of two WINZ workers – Peggy Turuhira Noble and Susan Leigh Cleveland – in a shooting at their Ashburton office on September 1, 2014, the attempted murder of two others, and other charges of setting a man trap, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Tully does not have his own lawyer but his defence case is being presented to the court by two amicus curiae (friends of the court), Phil Shamy and James Rapley.
Andrew McRae and Mark Zarifeh are the Crown prosecutors.
Category: Focus
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