The woman accused of murdering one person and wounding another while they travelled in a vehicle near Matatā on Saturday afternoon, has appeared in court.

The 35-year-old appeared in Whakatāne District Court before Judge Stephen Coyle today. She cried as she looked at members of the public gallery and caught air kisses blown by one person.

She entered no pleas and was granted interim name suppression until her next appearance.

Lawyer Scott Mills did not make an application for bail.

The defendant was remanded in custody to appear before the Tauranga High Court on October 22.

Judge Coyle also granted interim suppression of the victims’ names, their connection to the defendant, and the facts alleged in the police summary of facts, as sought by Crown prosecutor Anna Pollett.

The Crown did not oppose the application for name suppression of the defendant.

Judge Coyle ordered mental health reports be undertaken.

Mr Mills opposed an application for the defendant to be assessed regarding whether she was legally insane at the time of the alleged offending, raising concerns about its potential impact on the defendant’s right to a fair trial.

Judge Coyle discounted the impact and ordered reports under the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act to assess the defendant's fitness to plead and whether she was insane.