Newstalk ZB
May 21 2008; 12:00

Jury deciding if Gwaze murdered niece

The jury has retired to consider its verdict in the murder trial of Christchurch man George Gwaze.

Gwaze is accused of murdering his niece Charlene Makaza in January 2007. He is also charged with unlawful sexual violation of the 10-year-old.

The four week trial at the High Court in Christchurch has been characterised by complex medical evidence and two totally different versions of events.

The Crown alleges Charlene was brutalised, then suffocated to keep her quiet.

The defence says she died of natural causes related to her HIV status and says Gwaze's DNA, which was found in her underwear, may have transferred in the wash.

The jury is also out in another high-profile Christchurch murder case, the Edgeware Rd trial. Lipine Sila is accused of murdering teenage girls Hannah Rossiter and Jane Young, by driving his car into a crowd outside a party in May last year. He also faces eight charges of causing grievous bodily harm.