Jury retires in born-again Christian manslaughter trial

A key witness in the manslaughter trial of a man who allegedly steered a car into the path of an oncoming bus has faced tough questions from the defence. File photo / NZ Herald

A High Court jury has retired to consider its verdict in the manslaughter trial of a born-again Christian who allegedly grabbed the wheel of a car and steered it into the path of an oncoming bus.

The Crown says Worthy Redeemed, 39, took hold of the wheel of a car in which he was a front seat passenger, causing it to veer into the path of an oncoming bus near Woodend, north of Christchurch, on May 1 last year.

Three people in the car died.

Redeemed, formerly known as Lee Errol Silvester, is charged with the manslaughter of Dean Jonathan McCartney, 21, Jethro Bronson Cooper, 16, and Kodee Marie Rapana, 15.

He also faces three further charges of dangerous driving causing death, three charges of injuring with reckless disregard, and one of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard.

Justice Christian Whata today summed up the case for the jury of five men and seven women at the High Court at Wellington.

He said there were two key issues for the jury to consider - whether Redeemed turned the wheel of the car causing it to move into the path of the bus and whether he was aware of the dangerous consequences of that action.

Defence lawyer James Rapley yesterday questioned the reliability of the Crown's key witness, Reece Dick-Durham, 18, who was the only passenger in the car besides Redeemed to have survived the crash.

Mr Dick-Durham told the court Redeemed leaned over to look at the oncoming bus before grabbing the wheel with his right hand, and steering the car into the other lane.

The defence case is that Redeemed did not grab the wheel of the car and Mr Dick-Durham may have mixed up the crash with previous events.

Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier said Mr Dick-Durham had a clear recollection of the event because of the danger to him.

He had been asked 13 times under cross-examination whether he was mistaken but was adamant he was not.