A man accused of murdering his girlfriend admits he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed her.
Turiarangi Tai, on trial in the High Court in Auckland for the murder of Chozyn Koroheke. Photo: RNZ / Laura Tupou
Turiarangi Tai is on trial in the High Court in Auckland for the murder of 22-year-old Chozyn Koroheke, who he fatally shot in April 2017.
After taking the stand yesterday to give evidence in his own defence, Mr Tai has today been cross-examined by Crown prosecutor Mark Williams.
Mr Williams repeatedly asked Mr Tai whether he accepted that he had pulled the trigger.
"Now I would accept that I pulled the trigger," Mr Tai said.
But he said he never did so intentionally.
Mr Williams then asked Mr Tai whether he accepted that he was guilty of manslaughter.
"Yes," Mr Tai responded.
Earlier, Mr Tai said he had only pointed the gun at Ms Koroheke's brother, Nacyn, to scare him.
When he went into the room where the siblings were, Mr Tai said he saw Mr Koroheke clench his jaw and fists.
Mr Tai said he was scared and he just wanted to scare Mr Koroheke back.
He said pointing the gun at him was something he decided to do in the heat of the moment.
The jury has previously heard that the gun then went off, wounding Ms Koroheke.
Mr Tai also faced questions from Mr Williams about who, and where, he got the gun from.
But Mr Tai responded saying he didn't know.
Mr Tai was asked whether he checked the gun after he got it, to see if it was loaded, before he put it in the attic.
But he said he didn't, because he didn't know how to open the gun.