Ex-flatmate of cold-case killer Menzies Hallett: 'He confessed on a fishing trip but there was nothing I could do'

Menzies Hallett appears in the High Court at Rotorua for sentencing in 2013.

Menzies John Hallett shot dead an innocent Turangi service station attendant in 1979.

Nearly a decade later the Taupō man confided to his flatmate on a fishing trip.

It was revealed today that Hallett died in custody on Wednesday. Tonight his former flatmate Warwick Nunns has detailed to the Herald Hallett's "tame confession" and said his old mate knew he'd never come out of prison alive.

"We'd just come off the dinghy and sat down for a couple of beers, very early in the evening, and he told the story.

"He could be a little sly and he gave me a very tame version and I asked all the right questions.

"Part of me thought he was just playing games," Nunns said.

Hallett had already pleaded not guilty to murdering father-of-two Rodney Tahu in the early hours of August 16, 1979.

Nunns said he asked Hallett how come he was still a free man and he said police didn't have enough evidence to lay charges against him.

"He told me enough for me to realise I didn't have anything new for the police. Everything he told me was nothing new to the police and they knew already.

"I didn't get much sleep that night," Nunns said.

Years later, in 2013, Hallett was found guilty of murdering Tahu after a law change allowed his ex-wife to give evidence against the cold-case killer.

Tahu family spokesman Colin Hair addresses media at Rotorua after Menzies Hallett was sentenced in 2013 to life imprisonment for murdering of Rodney Tahu in Turangi in 1979. Photo / Alan Gibson

Tahu was found by a passing truck driver lying in a pool of blood on the forecourt of the Shell service station.

The 32-year-old married father of two sons died a few hours later at Taumarunui Hospital from gunshot wounds to the head and shoulder.

The court found that Tahu had locked up the service station, set the alarm and had just opened the door of his own vehicle to go home.

Tahu told Hallett he was unable to help because the station was closed. Hallett took issue with this, claiming it was only three minutes past 1am, and called Tahu a "black b******".

As Tahu went to approach him, Hallett pulled a .22 calibre revolver pistol out of his belt and fired towards him, missing.

He then fired again hitting Tahu in the shoulder. As Tahu lay on the ground Hallett walked over, stood over him and shot a third time through Tahu's head. Tahu never regained consciousness and died at 5.42am in Taumarunui Hospital.

Nunns said Hallett was a good talker.

"He gave me a very cleansed version of what happened on that fateful night.

"What came out at the trial was total news to me. It was a completely different story."

Hallett had claimed he'd fired a single shot and later learned Tahu had died.

Nunns gave evidence when the case reopened decades later and told police about Hallett's confession on that fishing trip.

"I remember the last time I spoke to Menzies, I was allowed to see him in custody before he went to prison.

"He apologised for putting me through that and I forgave him. He said he didn't think he'd be coming out of prison alive.

"He never wrote to me from prison and I never wrote to him."

Nunns said his old mate had some negative sides to him.

"He was a womaniser and didn't treat them very well and we had a few arguments about that.

"None the less it's never nice to hear when someone you know dies."