A Dunedin doctor accused of killing a teenage girl has been in court to hear lengthy legal arguments about his case. Venod Skantha (31) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush, who was found dead in her Corstorphine home on February 2 last year. The case has been the subject of several hearings and bail applications, for most of which Skantha has appeared by audiovisual link. Yesterday in the High Court at Dunedin two days of pre-trial arguments began and the defendant – dressed smartly in a pink shirt and dress pants – sat flanked by Corrections officers behind his counsel Jonathan Eaton QC. From the outset, Justice Gerald Nation stressed all discussions would be suppressed to preserve fair-trial rights on behalf of both Crown and defence. His judgements stemming from the hearing, he said, would also be withheld. As well as the murder charge, Skantha has denied a charge of indecent assault and four of threatening to kill.
