Double killer schooled in power of gun

Double murderer Ese Junior Falealii yesterday told a jury how he was schooled in the art of armed robbery.

"You got the power. You got the gun. Just fire a warning shot. If anyone tries to **** with you, shoot them in the leg," he said he was told by his alleged accomplices.

Falealii is serving a life sentence for the murders of part-time pizza worker Marcus Doig in May last year and Mangere Bridge ASB Bank teller John Vaughan a week later.

The 19-year-old is giving evidence for the Crown against Joseph Sam Samoa, William Logan Johansson and Pago Savaiinaea, who the Crown claims were parties to one or both murders.

Falealii told the court that he had been selling pure methamphetamine, known as P, on the streets for Samoa.

On one occasion, Falealii told the jury, he was stood over and robbed of $200 belonging to Samoa.

Falealii told Crown prosecutor Christine Gordon that he was in no position to repay Samoa.

He told the jury that he bumped into his cousin Savaiinaea and agreed to do some robberies.

He said he went to Savaiinaea's house where he was shown a cut-down .22 rifle, and instructed how to load and fire the weapon.

Falealii told Ms Gordon that he was also tutored in how to do robberies.

Savaiinaea allegedly told him to walk into a premises and start yelling, telling everyone to get on the "******* ground".

"If anyone tries to be a hero, shoot them in the leg," he said he was told.

Falealii said there had been "rehearsals" where he practised robberies.

The first attempt to rob the East Tamaki TAB was put off until another day because there were too many people around.

Falealii said that on a later day he met his cousin who was with Johansson which "freaked him out" because he knew that Johansson was Samoa's friend.

He said that Johansson told him he could repay Samoa from what he earned from doing robberies.

He said that Johansson gave him a beanie and a scarf to disguise himself. Later Savaiinaea told him to try again and Falealii said he went into the TAB but "froze" and went back to Savaiinaea's car.

He was told not to be scared. He had the power. If anyone tested him, he was to shoot them in the leg.

Falealii said that he went back into the TAB and ordered people to the ground, but they were too interested in watching the racing on TV to pay any attention.

After robbing the TAB staff he went back to his cousin's car and they drove to Johansson's where he was given $50 for his efforts.

He said that Savaiinaea and Johansson laughed and giggled when he described what he had done and told him he should have fired a warning shot. Falealii said that when he robbed Forhomes Furniture in Papatoetoe he still owed Samoa money for the P.

"I asked if I could pay it back by selling drugs again and he [Samoa] said 'what if the same thing happens again ... Look, do some jobs. That will pay what you owe me'," he said.

Falealii said that before and after the Forhomes robbery he, Samoa and Johansson smoked P.

Johansson dropped him at the furniture store and Samoa picked him up afterwards.

Initially Falealii got cold feet and said he sat down on a Lazyboy chair in the store to get himself together before going back to Johansson's car.

He was sent back again.

Falealii said he thought he fired the gun once but it was actually twice and told everyone to "get on the ******* ground".

There was not much money in the till and in the car Samoa allegedly told him: "You should have shot the **** - look what he gave us."

Falealii was involved in eight of a spate of 12 robberies, culminating in the two murders.

Those facing charges are Joseph Sam Samoa, aged 28 of Mangere, and William Logan Johansson, 27 of Otara, who are accused of being involved in the murder of Mr Doig and the attempted murder of the pizza parlour owner, John Wilfred Bell.

They are also accused, along with Pago Savaiinaea, aged 27, of Otara, of the murder of Mr Vaughan.

Samoa faces five charges of aggravated robbery, having pleaded guilty to four others at the start of the case and another one during the trial, including the pizza robbery.

Johansson faces 12 aggravated robbery charges, Savaiinaea three. A fourth man Kenneth Edward Kitiseni, aged 33 of Manurewa, also faces three aggravated robbery counts.