A 43-year-old man appeared in Christchurch District Court charged with one count of murder on Thursday.
He appeared via audio-visual link and interrupted the court to say he "wasn't trying to hurt her".
He was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody until February 11.
An investigation had been launched into the alleged homicide earlier on Thursday.
It comes after emergency services were called to Hawke St in New Brighton at about 10:40pm on Wednesday night. A woman, in her 40s, had reportedly been assaulted near a Countdown supermarket car park.
Police say she was unresponsive and succumbed to her injuries to the way to hospital.
In a statement, police said a 43-year-old man has since been charged with murder.
