Graphic pictures shown at fatal arson trial

Photo / File

There were tears at the High Court in Gisborne yesterday as the court was shown "distressing" photographs of a Tikitiki woman allegedly burned to death by her partner.

Jurors at the trial of Lawrence Huihui Wawatai, 57, who is accused of burning his partner to death, saw more than 160 photographs from the scene, including graphic pictures of the charred remains of the deceased in the lounge of the couple's Tikitiki home, north of Gisborne.

Wawatai is charged with the murder of partner Maryann Akuhata at the couple's Tikitiki home on October 10, 2012.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge as well as charges of arson and male assaults female.

Justice Collins warned family members in the public gallery that some of the photographs would be "distressing" and close-up images of Ms Akuhata's body brought several people in the public gallery to tears.

The officer in charge of the scene, Detective Constable Megan Rosene, said the body of Ms Akuhata was found on her back with her arms outstretched at a 70-degree angle to her body.

Carpet underneath her body was intact.

A petrol can, as well as the cuff of a puffer jacket and fabric of a blanket were sent for forensic assessment.

DNA analyst Jayshree Patel said she analysed samples taken from a petrol can and from shoes belonging to Wawatai. The lid of the petrol can had tested for DNA belonging to the deceased but tests on the handle were inconclusive.

A shoe belonging to the accused was also tested. Results showed that blood on the shoe was Wawatai's but tests did not tell when it was deposited.

Fire investigator Derek Goodwin said the fire appeared to have taken hold from the east and gone west through the house.

Mr Goodwin said the master bedroom floor was just "a huge hole" and the floor in the second bedroom had "literally disappeared".

He noted the carpet underneath the body was clean, perhaps denoting she had been there at the time of the fire.

He believed the fire's origin was between the lounge and the kitchen area but could not be more specific.

Forensic scientist David Neale also noted the carpet beneath the body had been protected from fire damage and that the body was more burned on the left side, "indicative" of fire attacking from the bedrooms."

The lounge was also the only area on the main house still standing.

"The area where the deceased was located was not the point of origin of the fire," he said.

A hole in the master bedroom could have meant that fire had dropped through the floor and continued to burn underneath the house.

However, speaking for the defence, Chris Wilkinson-Smith said Mr Neale and Mr Goodwin had given "quite different" opinions on the origin of the fire.

"That's one of the critical issues in this case."

Under cross-examination from Mr Wilkinson-Smith, Mr Neale said he did not believe that the area between the lounge and the second bedroom was an area of origin for the fire.

Mr Neale said he could not rule out that the fire was started with matches but it was "a valid possibility" Ms Akuhata was not alight when she went into the lounge.

He also agreed that the reason why the front of the body was more badly burnt was because Ms Akuhata fell to the floor quickly.

The trial continued today.