A man charged with the 2008 murder of Christchurch prostitute Mellory Manning will stand trial in the High Court.
Mauha Huataki Fawcett, 24, has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of Miss Manning on December 18, 2008.
Her badly beaten body was found in the Avon River the next day, and the brutality of her death shocked police investigating the case.
Unemployed Fawcett had a post-committal conference at Christchurch District Court today where a judge sent the case to the High Court for trial.
Fawcett is remanded in custody at an unnamed prison outside Christchurch after being transferred away from the city's mens prison for what defence counsel Craig Ruane has described as "entirely legitimate reasons".
He will appear in the High Court on December 14 for a pre-trial conference.
