Photo: NZME / Open Justice / Tracy Neal
The man accused of killing Nelson police officer Lyn Fleming has pleaded not guilty to her murder and the attempted murder of her colleague.
The 32-year-old appeared in person at the High Court at Blenheim on Friday morning from Christchurch Prison where he has been remanded in custody.
He entered not guilty pleas to six charges; the murder of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming, the attempted murder of Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay, causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard for safety and three charges of dangerous driving.
Members of Fleming's family sat in the public gallery while others watched the hearing via audiovisual link.
The man pleaded guilty to two charges - driving while disqualified and driving with a blood alcohol level of more than 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.
He last appeared via audio visual link in the High Court at Nelson. However, with the Nelson Courthouse currently closed for seismic strengthening work, today's appearance was held in Blenheim.
Defence lawyer John Sandston asked that an interim order for name suppression continue until a takedown order for two social media posts mentioning the accused was complied with.
A High Court minute on 20 February asked that the posts and articles on another website be removed, but Crown prosecutor Mark O'Donoghue said it had not been fully complied with.
"[The company] seems to be acting above the law of New Zealand and will not take [the posts] down, now this is effectively preventing the defendant's name from being published, which the Crown submits is very much contrary to the public interest," he said.
O'Donoghue said police had been making "every effort possible" to get the posts taken down and the company would not co-operate.
"I know the police have been trying assiduously, they have got a specialist media team based in Christchurch and they have been trying their hardest to get co-operation - for two reasons - to protect the defendant's fair trial rights but also there is a public interest in the defendant's name being published," he said.
Justice La Hood said in his experience, getting posts on overseas-based social media organisations removed was very difficult.
"They say the court has no jurisdiction to enforce takedown orders against them...I don't think that can be the law, they are posting things on New Zealand websites available in New Zealand."
Justice La Hood extended the order for interim name suppression and asked that the police continued to seek compliance with the order.
If that was not possible, then a hearing would be held to consider what orders the court could and should make, "including possibly contempt".
O'Donoghue asked Justice La Hood to re-issue his minute as a takedown order in a bid to assist police with compliance.
Defence lawyer John Sandston said the defendant had consented to a remand in custody and would not be applying for bail before the trial, with a provisional date set for next year.
He was granted continued name suppression for the time being.
He also planned to make an application for the case to be transferred from the High Court at Nelson to another High Court.
Senior Sergeant Fleming was killed in the early hours of New Year's Day after being struck by a vehicle while she was on foot patrol in central Nelson.
Her colleague, Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay was critically injured and required surgery. A third police officer was assessed for concussion. Two members of the public were also injured.
The 62-year-old was laid to rest on 16 January, following a funeral with full police honours, attended by hundreds at Nelson's Trafalgar Centre.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said Fleming was widely respected and her death was "tragic and senseless".
She had been an officer for 38 years and was the first policewoman to be killed in the line of duty in New Zealand.
