A jury trial for the man charged with murdering Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson is due to begin today in the High Court at Christchurch.
Fleming, 62, was killed in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2025 after she and a colleague were struck by a vehicle while on foot patrol in Buxton Square, in central Nelson.
Hayden Donald Jason Tasker, 33, entered not guilty pleas to six charges, including murder, last February.
He has also denied the attempted murder of Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay, who was critically injured in the crash and required surgery.
A third police officer was assessed for concussion, while two members of the public were also injured.
Tasker has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard for safety and three charges of dangerous driving.
His case was transferred to the High Court at Christchurch last year.
Fleming was the first policewoman to be killed in the line of duty in New Zealand.
At her funeral, Fleming, who had been a police officer for 38 years, was described as the matriarch of the Nelson Police Station and a fearless advocate for her staff.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, who worked alongside Fleming in Nelson, said she was a remarkable policewoman.
She had not been required to work the New Year’s Eve shift but chose to do so to support her colleagues.
The trial is expected to take three weeks.
