Tauranga man charged with murder; homicide victim formally named

Bay of Plenty Police have now charged a 41 year old Tauranga man with murder and attempted murder following the death of a 59 year old woman in her home in Bellevue, Tauranga, early yesterday morning .

He appeared in the Tauranga District Court this morning. He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in the Tauranga District Court on 7 March. He has interim name suppression until midday tomorrow.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Senior Sergeant Todd Pearce, says after discussions with and approval from the deceased's family, the victim can now be named as Sandra Brown of Bellevue.

He says another female was seriously injured in the incident and is being treated at Tauranga Hospital, but another male at the house was not injured.

Detective Senior Sergeant Pearce says the offender was treated at Tauranga Hospital yesterday for injuries he received prior to the incident occurring.

"Because this case is now before the court, for obvious reasons Police are unable to provide further detail about the incident, including the circumstances leading up to the incident, the cause of death or nature of injuries. Any speculation about any of these aspects is unhelpful.

"We are disappointed some members of the media have chosen to name the victim today.

"There is a process that Police must follow, and this includes ensuring that all relevant members of the family and friends have been notified appropriately. Only when this has been completed and we have approval from the immediate family will we formally name a victim. Done in any other way only leads to further distress for a victim's family, at an incredibly upsetting time in their lives.

"This is a process that Police will continue to follow, and we will continue to ask for the media's respect for this process."

Detective Senior Sergeant Pearce says members of the Police investigation team remain at the scene today.