Trial date set for elderly woman's accused killer

A woman accused of murdering an elderly Wellington resident in January will face trial by jury in June 2025.

Helen Gregory, 79, was found dead in her Khandallah home after suffering what police described as a "violent act".

The 52-year-old woman accused of killing her has interim name suppression.

In July she pleaded not guilty to one charge of murder and one charge of obtaining thousands of dollars by deception.

The woman was first scheduled to be tried early next year, however that was pushed out to June 2026 due to scheduling conflicts.

But at the High Court in Wellington on Friday, Justice Dale La Hood confirmed the trial would begin on 23 June, 2025.

The woman's lawyer Hunter de Groot fought to keep her name secret in a suppression hearing last week. He told the High Court naming her risked sparking a "firestorm" of media coverage that could prejudice perceptions and risk an unfair trial.

The woman's husband also sought name suppression, with lawyers citing his vulnerable mental and physical state which had been worsened by the extreme stress and pressure of the events.

His lawyer Sam Campbell said naming either party risked casting suspicion on the husband - and gossip and rumours circulating in their small community - despite an absence of charges against him.

Justice Karen Grau reserved her decision.