Military-style exercises captured on covert police cameras could have been learned from Forrest Gump, the trial of the "Urewera Four" has been told.
Tame Wairere Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, Emily Felicity Bailey and Urs Signer are on trial in the High Court at Auckland. They have denied charges of possessing guns and belonging to an organised criminal group with objectives including murder, arson and using guns against the police.
Footage captured by police surveillance cameras has been handed up as evidence and today the footage was at the centre of witness questioning.
The New Zealand Army lieutenant colonel who gave evidence today has name suppression and the media have also been banned from reporting where he is currently deployed.
The man told the High Court at Auckland that one four-man patrol "did a good job" but others looked amateur.
"Most of the things they are getting trained in are rudimentary."
The witness was asked by Iti's lawyer, Russell Fairbrother, if the army would encourage recruits who already had military skills.
"We're not looking for specific skills," the military man said, "but their ability to train."
One of the clips shows an alleged member of the military-style training camp lighting up a smoke.
"I suppose having a smoke on the job is not consistent with the military?" Justice Rodney Hansen asked.
The man replied: "No, it would lead to a performance appraisal."
He said standing and kneeling in a firing position, as shown in the videos, were not unique to the military.
He confirmed to Mr Fairbrother that the military exercises could have been learned from the movie Forrest Gump. Some of the exercises were "restricted" but could be learned from a variety of sources.
He said some of the images could show members of the alleged military-style training camp escorting a VIP.
"It is one of the many options that could be what is playing out in front of us. It is one of the many options but it is too subjective."
The witness said the alleged military-style training captured by the police cameras would not get anyone a job in the security industry.
"To be employed in close protection without the relevant experience or background, it is very unlikely."
Kemara's lawyer, Jeremy Bioletti asked if the alleged members "might be dreaming" if they thought they could get jobs in VIP protection overseas.
The witness responded: "I'd say: Yes."
He said companies paid big money - $300,000 a year - for personal protection overseas and employed ex-SAS and police special tactics people.
The trial continues.