The 32-year-old man charged with murder in relation to a death in rural Carterton late last month appeared in Masterton District Court yesterday.
Judge Arthur Tompkins granted the defendant interim name suppression for six weeks. He was remanded in custody and made no bail application.
The victim’s name suppression, which was put in place last week, was lifted; he can now be identified as 33-year-old Jamie Michael Gill of Masterton.
Gill was found dead outside a Te Kopi Rd property near Carterton at 9am on Sunday, June 25.
Last week police charged the defendant with assaulting Gill in a separate incident before his death.
The defendant was remanded in custody before being charged with murder on Wednesday night.
He is represented by lawyers Ian Hard and Mike Kilbride.
Hard told Judge Tompkins that the defendant needed name suppression because the murder charge was new, so he needed time to talk with his lawyers.
Hard said he needed time to investigate the circumstances of his client’s life and determine how he would be affected by having his name made public.
Hard also said his client needed time to get a mental health screening.
“In fairness to the client, you don’t know what that’s going to throw up,” he said.
The defendant is due to reappear on August 22 at the High Court in Wellington.
Wairarapa area commander Inspector Scott Miller said police have now finished examining the Te Kopi Rd property but would still like to hear from anyone with information that might assist the homicide investigation.
Anyone with information relating to the case can call 105, quoting file 230625/1483, or make a report online using “update report”.
