Nelson man denies murder of baby girl

A man accused of murdering a five-month-old baby in Southland has denied the charge, and will face trial next year.

Daniel Wallis, 24, made a brief appearance in the High Court at Nelson today, to enter a plea before Justice Cameron Mander in the High Court at Christchurch, via audio-visual link.

Name suppression for Wallis lapsed today, which was unopposed by his lawyer Michael Vesty. An interim order was made last month at Wallis' first appearance, to allow family members to be informed of the charge.

Wallis' initial appearance on March 17 happened on the day he was arrested and charged in relation to the murder of Hope Elizabeth McFall-Schultz.

Hope died in January after being sent to Starship Children's Hospital in critical condition. A decision was made to turn off her life support days later.

It was earlier reported that Hope spent the first months of her life in the neonatal unit at Dunedin Hospital after she was born at 27 weeks, on August 25 last year.

"She [Hope] was a wee angel," her grandmother, Sharon Schultz, told the Otago Daily Times.

Detective Sergeant Mark McCloy last month thanked the Invercargill community and Hope's family for their assistance and patience during the police investigation.

At Wallis' initial appearance, Vesty sought bail on several grounds, which police did not oppose.

Judge Tony Zohrab said then that having heard the lawyer and having read the affidavit from the man's family that bail was appropriate on a set of strict conditions.

Wallis was remanded on bail to live with relatives in Nelson on those strict conditions.

Justice Mander today further remanded Wallis on bail on the existing terms, to a call-over on June 14.

A date was set for the trial to begin on July 31, 2023.