A former Tipene Funerals undertaker alleged to have mishandled human remains has pleaded not guilty in the District Court at Auckland this afternoon.
Fiona Bakulich, 48, first appeared in court in October, where she faced 10 charges in total. One was a charge of misconduct in respect of human remains, while nine others related to obtaining by deception — which court records show amounted to more than $15,000.
Bakulich was released on bail at her first court appearance. Her arrest followed a multi-month police investigation into “concerns around burials at Waikumete Cemetery” in Glen Eden.
Today, before Judge Peter Winter, her lawyer Panama Le’Au’Anae entered the not guilty pleas on her behalf. She remains on bail until her subsequent court appearance in February next year.
Bakulich appeared on reality series The Casketeers, which has previously been broadcast by TVNZ. Her lawyer had previously sought interim name suppression for his client, telling the court she was living with a mood disorder and seeing a psychiatrist.
This name suppression lapsed on October 30 and no further request to keep her identity hidden was made.