Within an hour of police finding dying British tourist Karen Aim, the name of the boy now accused of her killing had been raised in connection with the crime, a court was told today.
The revelation came while Constable Matthew Barton was giving evidence at a depositions hearing in Taupo Youth Court for the 15-year-old boy charged with Ms Aim's murder.
Mr Barton found the badly beaten 26-year-old Ms Aim lying in the street after being called out to investigate a vandalism spree at Taupo Nui a Tia College on January 17.
He outlined how he arrived at the college, then drove around the streets on its perimeter.
He spotted Miss Aim lying on the footpath at the corner of Waikato and Motutahae Streets, just metres from her flat.
He alerted the police communications centre and senior police officers and called for an ambulance for Ms Aim.
Two ambulances arrived at the scene and one took her to Taupo Hospital, but he learned that she died shortly afterwards.
Defence counsel Bill Lawson, in cross-examination, asked Mr Barton whether he had subsequently spoken to the CIB officer who took over control of the scene.
The witness said he had and when asked, had given the officer the youth's address.
He said he could not remember the exact time and asked if he could check his job sheet.
After doing so, he told Mr Watson it was at 3.15am.
"So, within about an hour of the discovery of Miss Aim's body?" Mr Lawson asked.
"Yes" Mr Barton replied.
There was no further cross-examination or re-examination of the witness.
The depositions hearing before Judge Russell Callander is now taking evidence from other police officers involved in the case and is likely to be completed by late today or tomorrow.
