Judge to sum up in Rippon trial today

Tyrone Peter Madams and Kevin Roy Madams are charged with the murder of Craig Rippon, 57, and with participating in a criminal organisation. Photo: File

The prosecution and defence have closed their cases in the Craig Rippon murder trial in the High Court at Whanganui.

Tyrone Peter Madams and Kevin Roy Madams are charged with the murder of Craig Rippon, 57, and with participating in a criminal organisation. They have denied the charges.

Crown prosecutor Harry Mallalieu yesterday recounted testimony from Rippon family members that both Kevin Madams and Tyrone Peter Madams entered the property and both were seen with weapons.

He said how one witness described Tyrone Peter Madams striking Mr Rippon with a steel pole "loud enough to hear".

He recalled the testimony of the victim's daughter, Natasha Kuru, describing Tyrone Peter Madams standing over her father with an iron bar.

"She said: 'He was waving the iron bar at me like, if I came any closer, he was going to smash me."

Mr Mallalieu dismissed the defence's claim that Tyrone Peter Madams was too drunk to have taken part in the assault.

He told the jury that Dr Chris Cresswell, who treated Tyrone Peter Madams after the incident, stated: "He was making sense, he didn't appear intoxicated."

Mr Mallalieu argued that Tyrone Peter Madams and Kevin Madams had intentionally brought Tyrone William Madams back to the scene to use "as a weapon, and he did not disappoint".

He described Tyrone Peter Madams as a "general directing his troops".

In regard to Kevin Madams, he asked why multiple witnesses recalled one of the youths shouting "Come on [Kevin Madams], let's go" if Kevin Madams was indeed an unwilling spectator, as his defence suggested.

Speaking to the jury in response, Peter Brosnahan, defence counsel for Tyrone Peter Madams, argued that no DNA from his client could be found at the murder scene.

"Numerous people commented on how [Tyrone Peter Madams] was bleeding profusely. Why did the prosecution not go through there with a fine tooth comb, with their numerous forensic resources?"

Paul Surridge, counsel for Kevin Madams, also called in to question some of the witness accounts.

He told the jury it was only Rippon family members that put his client on the property.

Other independent witnesses "with no axe to grind" said they saw a man matching Kevin Madams' description outside the property across the road.

He questioned Senior Constable Christian Hogan's testimony that stated his client boasted after the attack.

"It says in his job notes, 'I can't be sure who said what because of all the bulls**t and bravado'," said Mr Surridge."

Justice Jillian Mallon will present a summary of facts today.

Mathew Thomas Madams and one youth have taken the lesser charge of manslaughter. Another youth was discharged due to lack of evidence.

In June, Tyrone William Madams pleaded guilty to Mr Rippon's murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

+In last Saturday's report of the trial, Trieste Neilson was reported as saying, "I know [Tyrone Peter Madams] didn't do it, but he should have been able to control [them]." This is incorrect. Trieste Neilson did not make this statement at the Wanganui High Court on Friday, November 11.