One News
April 30 2008; 10:39

Daughter defends father at trial

The adult daughter of a man facing murder and sex charges has accused police of pressuring her to make a statement favourable to the prosecution.

Nothando Gwaze was testifying in the Christchurch High Court trial of 56-year-old George Gwaze, who is accused of sexually violating and suffocating his ten-year-old niece in January last year.

She was sleeping in the same room as the girl and on Wednesday told the court no-one came in.

"I never heard anyone come into a room and I would, I told the police that but they always pressured me to say that no you did see someone, but I'm 100% sure that no one came into our bedroom that night, " said Nothando Gwaze.

Defence lawyers argue Charlene Makaza died of natural causes. She was HIV positive.