Women to appear in court over Te Puna homicide

Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Rawlinson:

Two women are due to appear in Tauranga District Court later today in relation to the homicide of five-year-old Malachi Subecz.

Michaela Barriball, 27, has been charged with murder, disfiguring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and injuring with intent to injure. She has previously been charged with ill-treating Malachi prior to his death.

Her sister, Sharron Barriball, 37, is also due to appear on a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice relating to the investigation of Malachi’s death.

Malachi was found with injuries at a Te Puna property on 1 November and treated in Tauranga Hospital. He was subsequently airlifted to Starship Hospital in Auckland, where he died on 12 November.

/NZ Police Public Release. View in full here.