By SCOTT MacLEOD
Gang members were still dancing hard as dawn broke at the Tribesmen pad in Papatoetoe - until the blast of a single gunshot stopped the party dead.
Shane "Shine" Hohepa, a 24-year-old father of two, toppled sideways from the bar with a .38 calibre pistol bullet lodged in his brain.
Yesterday, patched Tribesman Lenin Wayne Lazarus, 30, stood in an Auckland District Court dock and said: "I'm not denying that I pulled the trigger. I want to plead guilty to what I've done. I wasn't drinking milk and cookies that night."
But defence lawyer Marie Dyhrberg said Lazarus did not accept that he was guilty of murder, and the depositions hearing continued.
Security guards searched a dozen friends, family members and reporters before letting them into court to hear prosecutor Philip Hamlin give the police version of the Glasgow Ave shooting on January 30.
Mr Hamlin said that up to 200 people were at the pad to celebrate three gang prospects being given their patches.
Mr Hohepa, Lazarus and a former Tribesman were standing at the bar about 7.30 am when the latter two men began talking about the way gang members treated one another.
The former Tribesman told Lazarus he left the gang because members were "not treating each other the way they should."
Mr Hamlin said Lazarus seemed to take the comments personally.
He drew a pistol from inside his leather jacket, pushed it to the left temple of Mr Hohepa, who was standing nearby, and fired a shot that sent the Hokianga farm-dweller flying through the air.
Kamo woman Alisdean Inamata told the court she saw Lazarus hold his arm up to Mr Hohepa's head.
She heard a bang as smoke came out of his hand. Mr Hohepa fell to the floor with "a hole in his head."
She said Lazarus then stuck his hand back in his pocket and remained standing at the bar.
Mr Hohepa's fiancee, Anne Hepi, told the court she heard a noise and looked across the room to see her man lying on the ground with Lazarus standing nearby.
"I ran over and I screamed for help," she said.
"I screamed and I looked down right into his eyes and I was panicking."
Others at the party helped to bundle Mr Hohepa into a car, but he died after they rushed him to Middlemore Hospital.
Two Tribesmen, Jai and Renata Marino, said Lazarus yelled comments about a "f***** nark" as people rushed over.
Jai Marino admitted under cross-examination that he had drunk 15 bottles of Steinlager at the time of the shooting, while Renata Marino said he had consumed half a litre of bourbon.
Lazarus asked to leave the room twice yesterday - once while Renata Marino was giving evidence.
Ms Dyhrberg complained that Mr Marino was staring at her client to intimidate him, but Renata Marino said he wanted to look into the face of the man he was testifying against.
The hearing is being held to decide whether Lazarus has a case to answer. It is expected to finish tomorrow.
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