The trial of a man accused of the murder of sex worker Renee Larissa Duckmanton will be the first trial in the Christchurch High Court’s new premises next year.
Sainey Marong denies the charge of murdering the 22-year-old woman, whose body was found on May 15, at the scene of a scrub fire on the Main Rakaia Road, north of Rakaia.
Thirty-two-year-old Marong is accused of murdering her at Christchurch on that day or the previous day.
Many members of the victim’s family were present for a pre-trial call-over before Justice Cameron Mander in the High Court at Christchurch today.
Justice Mander ordered a psychiatric report on Marong under the Criminal Procedures (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act and remanded him in custody to December 16, to decide when pre-trial arguments would be heard.
The date for the trial had been set for June 6, but Justice Mander was told today that the trial would need to be delayed a week to begin on June 12 because the High Court would be moving into its new premises in the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct.
The precinct, a $300m anchor project now under construction, is on the corner of Tuam, Durham, and Lichfield Streets in central Christchurch.
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