Guilty: Emotional jury delivers verdict

Pent-up emotions and a cascade of tears swept the courtroom yesterday as the trio accused of Paul Irons' murder was unanimously convicted on two counts of murder and one of manslaughter after a jury of seven women and five men deliberated for close to two days.
Early on October 9 last year, Mr Irons, 36, was found semiconscious and partially naked with severe brain injuries. Five days after the bashing in central Featherston, his family withdrew life support.
Yesterday, at 3.28pm in Wellington High Court Room Number Three, Shaun Sullivan, 25, was found guilty of his murder.
Seconds later, Rangitera Walker, 16, was also found guilty of Mr Irons' murder. Andrew Dean Kupa-Caudwell, 18, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
A stunned Kupa-Caudwell shook his downcast head slowly in disbelief, staring into the middle distance and mouthing indecipherable words as his verdict was read.
Sullivan, who had remained largely impassive throughout the 17-day trial, finally broke down shortly after the jury foreman read the verdict, burying his head in his hands.
Walkers' face slowly became a blur of tears as he looked between the ceiling and his feet, as if praying for clemency. Sobs were heard throughout the packed public gallery, which included Mr Irons' family and family and friends of all three convicted. After Justice John Wild convicted Sullivan, Walker and Kupa-Caudwell, they were walked back into the courthouse cells.
As the steel door closed, a pained howl could be heard from one of the three prisoners. The jury was not unaffected by the intense gravity of its task, entering the courtroom in solemn single file with the burden of judgment written upon each member's face. Jurors - both male and female - cried.
After the verdict was delivered by their foreman, all remained sombre. Judge Wild commended Sullivan, Walker and Kupa-Caudwell for their conduct throughout the trial, saying it was ''not easy for any of you - but your behaviour has been first class and you deserve praise for that''. He expressed the same commendations for Mr Irons' family and the families of the accused: ''All of you, through a tragic trial have behaved in an exemplary manner.''
Mr Irons' brother, Dave, would not comment specifically on the judgment, but gave a brief statement on behalf of his family following the verdict. ''At the end of the day it doesn't bring Paul back - it's been hard for our family and for all their families and it doesn't bring Paul back,'' Mr Irons said. Walkers' family also released a statement.
''The lives of many families have been changed forever by this tragedy - none more so than the Irons family, whom we have known for many years. Our heartfelt thoughts are with them at this time,'' the statement read.
Sullivan and Walker were both remanded in custody until sentencing in the High Court on February 10. Kupa-Caudwell, who has suffered from cancer in his leg, was granted bail with his family in Waiouru on strict conditions, pending the February sentencing date.
Justice Wild used the occasion to hit back at critics of legal aid defence lawyers, telling an emptying courtroom that the criticism was ''not justified in this trial''. Addressing the three legal aid defence teams, he said: ''From start to finish every single one of you has been an exemplar of defence advocacy.'' He praised the defence lawyers for their ''focused and effective cross-examination of almost 70 witnesses during the three-week trial'' and called their combined closing addresses to the jury ''amongst the best I've heard in 11 years''. ''I wish to let the public of this country know that the criticisms are not true of much, or most, of the cases where the defendant or the accused is legally aided.''