Name Suppressed In Murder Charge

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31235, 6 December 1966, Page 7

Name Suppressed In Murder Charge

(Neto Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 4. A woman who appeared before Mr F. McCarthy, S.M., yesterday, on a charge of murdering a nursing sister at R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Whenuapai, had her name suppressed.

The application for interim | suppression of name was granted after the woman’s counsel, Mr J. B. Sinclair, spoke of the case’s “considerable complexity.” The woman was charged with murdering Raewyn Kathleen Joy Pethley, aged 40, at Whenuapai on November 19. She was remanded in custody until Friday, when a date will be set for the taking of depositions. Sergeant C. H. Shearwood said the police were not ready to proceed with depositions at the moment and asked for a remand until Friday. Mr Sinclair told the Court that he had two requests to make. The first was for interim suppression of his client’s name. “This is a matter of considerable complexity,” he

said. “Numerous investigations have to be made on the part of the defence and publication of her name may hamper them.” Mr Sinclair said his second application was a medical one. “This woman was in a very serious state of health when she was taken to hospital a fortnight ago,” he said. He had been trying to arrange in the last few days for an electro-encephalogram to be taken. The Magistrate said this could be arranged. “In view of what you have told me I can suppress her name in the meantime,” he added. This is believed to be the first time that suppression of name has been granted to a person appearing on a murder charge.