Homicide victim was turned away from party before her death, says landlord

Before her body was discovered on Wednesday, Christchurch homicide victim Sarah Brown was turned away from a neighbouring flat where a party had been held, her landlord says. The 37-year-old mother was found dead at a property on Elderwood Lane, off Purchas St, in Edgeware early on Wednesday morning. A 52-year-old man has been charged with her murder and was granted interim name suppression. Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Baillie said the man was taken into custody at the scene. He appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday afternoon via audio-visual link and was remanded in custody without plea. He was due to reappear in the Christchurch District Court on October 16. Brown’s landlord and neighbour, who did not want to be named, was told that Brown went to a neighbouring unit about 3am asking for alcohol.