While her name is suppressed, it can be revealed she is a 52-year-old teacher.
She appeared briefly in the Wellington District Court this morning, her head bowed for almost all of the hearing and showing little emotion.
Judge Tim Black remanded her in custody until her next appearance and granted interim name suppression.
Pensioner Helen Gregory, 79, was found dead at her home in Baroda St, Khandallah, shortly before midnight on January 24.
A post-mortem revealed her death was the result of a violent act.
Police searched a Porirua landfill on Friday and Saturday last week, attempting to locate evidence.
Police said it’s believed a person of interest in the investigation disposed of items in the hours after Gregory died, which were later taken to the landfill.
A search of the accused’s property was carried out yesterday.
Neighbours of Gregory’s described her to RNZ as a keen gardener and a quiet woman who kept to herself.
One neighbour, who did not want to be identified, told RNZ Gregory, who had gone to school with their aunt, spent a lot of her time gardening.
The amount she did and the layout and size of her hilly property helped keep her fit and out of a retirement home, they said.
- By Ethan Griffiths
Open Justice multimedia journalist, Wellington
