Court of Appeal reserves decision

• Author: Sarah Curtis
• Published date: 24 March 2022
• Publication title: Northern Advocate, The (Whangarei, New Zealand)

Northlander Pou, 60, was sentenced in the High Court at Whangārei last year by Justice Christine Gordon to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, after being found guilty of beating his partner Bridget Simmonds to death in 2019

He appealed against his conviction this week, the Court of Appeal reserving its decision.

Pou was tried together with his nephew Te Koha Samuel Pou, 34, in June 2020. Both were found guilty – Pou for the murder, his nephew for dishonestly using Simmonds’ bank card to steal $580 from her account and helping his uncle avoid arrest.

Sam Pou had subjected Simmonds to a brutal beating that lasted 90 minutes then disposed of her fatally-injured body in a shallow grave at a rural property, not discovered until the following year, the jury was told.

In submissions counsel Arthur Fairlie cited aspects of the...