UPDATED 8.36PM: The Crown has opened its case in the trial of the man accused of killing Auckland woman Blessie Gotingco.

A 27-year-old man, who has name suppression, is on trial at the High Court in Auckland.

NZME. reporter Rob Kidd told Newstalk ZB's Larry Williams says the Crown told the court the defendant ran her down while she was walking home from the bus stop and broke her leg.

"He allegedly put her back into his car, took her home to his place which was a couple of minutes drive away, then the Crown say she was raped in the garage of his home, where he also stabbed her to death."

The Crown says the following morning, the accused wrapped her body in his bed sheets and dumped it in a scrub area of Eskdale Cemetery in the North Shore.

 

Meanwhile, a judge has ruled media can publish photos of a murder accused, even though his name remains suppressed.

Mrs Gotingco, 56, was killed on her way home from work in May last year. 

He's also been charged with sexual violation.

The judge told the court the man's name is the identifying feature, and he doesn't believe an image of his face will have the same identifying influence.

Birkdale and Beach Haven residents came together to pray for justice in the case.

Organiser Te Clark and other locals stood hand-in-hand outside court this morning, showing their support for Mrs Gotingco's family.

Ms Clark says when she heard her body had been discovered in May last year, she took some food to the family home.

"I expected just to have a knock on the door, and have someone say to me thank you very much for caring and see you later, it didn't happen like that."

"I was invited in and I came away from that home feeling like I'd known them forever."

Clark hopes the trial will bring some closure to the awful year Mrs Gotingco's family have endured since losing her.

"We just really hope that justice will be served, and it's a good outcome and therefore the family will be able to go on knowing that justice has been served and begin their healing."