The jury in the trial of the murder of Liberty Rose Templeman
today travelled to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands to view the
scene of her killing.
On trial in the High Court at Whangarei for murder and
indecent assault is a 16-year-old youth who has pleaded not
guilty to both charges. His name is suppressed and he can be
identified only as "K".
Justice Raynor Asher has said he will review the suppression
order at the end of the trial.
This morning the six men and six women on the jury travelled
by bus from Whangarei to view the spot where Ms Templeman's
body was found in November 2008.
They also viewed other places mentioned in the trial,
including the boy's home and the bushes where police found
his shirt stained with Ms Templeman's blood.
Yesterday, the court was told the police sergeant who found
the body first thought it was a mannequin.
On closer examination, Sergeant Ross Laurie recognised the
clothing on the figure matched the description of what Ms
Templeman was wearing when last seen alive the day before.
The dead girl, known as Libby, was aged 15 and had migrated
from Britain with her parents in 2005.
The Crown says she was beaten unconscious, strangled and
dragged down to the banks of the Wairoa Stream where she was
left by the accused.
She died from drowning. The accused has admitted attacking
the girl on Saturday, November 1 2008.
The trial is expected to take up to three weeks and the Crown
will call about 40 witnesses.
