Judge discharges jury

Press, 17 February 1984, Page 7

Judge discharges jury

PA Napier A man accused for murdering his wife was remanded in custody until April 2 when a jury failed to reach a verdict after five hours and a half of deliberation on Wednesday night. Mr Justice Chilwell discharged the jury in the High Court at Napier and ordered a new trial for Aubrey Nepia, who had denied murdering his wife, Glenys Evelyn Nepia, at the Apple Inn, Hastings, on January 21, 1983.

His Honour told the six

man and six woman jury that it was not a great disaster if they failed to agree. “At times it indicated the system is working,” he said. The jury was told during the three-day trial that Nepia had stabbed his wife to death outside the motel in front of several bystanders. His two children had watched the killing from an upstairs balcony. During the trial Nepia had conceded that he struck the death blows.

At the time of the attack Mrs Nepia had been collecting the children, aged 12 and eight, after they had spent three weeks with their father.

The couple, married for 16 years, had been separated for 12 months.

The Court was told that Nepia had stabbed his wife 14 times — two stabs through the heart had resulted in her death.

After the stabbing Nepia allegedly told police: “I did not murder her, I loved her.”