The trial of a Napier man charged with murdering his new neighbour in a Napier flat 17 months ago has been aborted after two days without any evidence being heard.
A new trial date will be set on June 30.
The mistrial was called by Justice Denis Clifford in the High Court in Napier late yesterday, Zion Hiona King, 48, is charged with murdering Chattrice Maihi-Carroll (otherwise known as Chattrice Carroll Poipoi or Iraia Iris Poipoi) on the weekend of January 19 and 20 last year.
A jury of eight men and four women had been empanelled after King pleaded not guilty on Monday morning, but then stood down for the rest of that day, and again yesterday after hearing opening addresses from Crown prosecutor Russell Collins and defence counsel Peter Williams, QC.
The court heard that Ms Maihi-Carroll, 46, died on the night of Saturday, January 19 last year. However, her body was not found until late on the Monday morning. She had five stab wounds in her chest and one in her abdomen.
King was charged with murder two months later.
