Defendant Shayde Carolyn Weston, during the start of the trial of the women for murdering Rau Tongia. Photo: Stuff/Juan Zarama Perini
The defence counsel for one of the accused in the Rau Tongia murder trial has questioned why police felt evidence was stacked up against their client, despite messages from another woman declaring she wanted to kill Tongia.
A murder trial for the death of Rau Tongia is now in its seventh week at the High Court in Wellington.
Shayde Carolyn Weston, Breeze Hunt-Weston, Louise Kelly Hume, and Pania Ella Waaka have all pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tongia, who the Crown allege was shot in the back while he slept at a house in Wellington's Karori in December 2020.
A fifth woman was also set to go on trial but was excused due to health reasons. Her name was suppressed.
The Crown's case is that Weston killed Tongia in revenge after he assaulted her. The Crown claimed Hunt-Weston provided the car used to get to Tongia's address, Waaka drove and Hume helped provide the gun.
On Tuesday, police officers who interviewed Hume gave evidence that she was unwilling to make a statement to police for fear it might affect her nieces (Weston and Hunt-Weston).
But officers said Hume did, however, disclose she had received text messages from the woman whose name was suppressed, declaring she wanted to kill Tongia.
Defence counsel for Hume, Shane Robinson, said she had not engaged with the woman beyond asking who she meant.
Meanwhile, defence for Shayde Weston, Robert Lithgow, pointed out that despite having messages that the woman wanted to kill Tongia, police had testified that they already at that point believed Weston had pulled the trigger.
He also pointed out to the jury that no gunshot residue had been found on Weston.
Lithgow was not the only one questioning the police's judgement.
Defence for Pania Waaka Letizea Ord also reminded the jury of her client's fear for her safety after she spoke to police.
It follows evidence given last week that Waaka disclosed information to police in an unorthodox conversation during a smoke break in the station's car park.
Ord at the time had called it a "ploy" by Police.
The police officer involved admitted Waaka had not been told she was being recorded at the time, and that during the course of her interview she had transitioned from witness to suspect.
The trial continues.