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David Unwin / Things
Flowers placed on the door of Grace Isobel Virtue’s Levin home, where she was fatally attacked in November 2019.
A teenage girl may end up celebrating her birthday while on trial for allegedly murdering a 90-year-old woman.
A jury will be selected Monday in Palmerston North Superior Court for the trial of three teenagers accused of murdering Grace Isobel Virtue.
Police said Virtue, 90, was assaulted at her Bath St, Levin home on November 2.
She was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died 25 days later.
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* Teenagers plead not guilty to murder of 90-year-old Grace Virtue.
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The girls were arrested and charged with the Virtue murder in December and have since been released on bail.
They all pleaded not guilty in February.
Two of them were 15 when Virtue was attacked, while the other was 14.
The two oldest have turned 16, while the youngest will have her birthday during the trial, which is scheduled to last up to three weeks.
All three have name suppression until the jury renders its verdict and the media have been told they cannot take photos or film them during the trial.
Judge Helen Cull is presiding over the trial, while the courtroom has been modified to comply with alert level 2 protocols.
The benches in the courtroom have been moved so jurors can physically distance themselves in the extended jury box, while the public gallery will have limited space for people who want to view the trial.
