Jury shown bullet lodged in constable's notebook

Constable Jeremy Snow. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A notebook stuffed inside Constable Jeremy Snow's stab-proof vest was found with a bullet lodged inside it, a court was told yesterday.

Mr Snow was shot four times while on a routine patrol.

Neshanderan Rajgopaul, 29, is charged with the attempted murder of Mr Snow and 10 other counts including possessing methamphetamine for supply and assault with a firearm.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the High Court at Auckland, where his trial began yesterday.

Mr Snow and Constable Robert Cato spotted a silver Audi station wagon with its indicators flashing in early on December 22, 2009.

They believed that someone could be breaking into the car and decided to investigate.

Crown prosecutor Rachael Reed told the jurors the two officers were met by Rajgopaul's friend Gavin Lomas, who said the car belonged to a man named Nesi who had gone out drinking.

Mr Cato radioed through to police communications and discovered the car was stolen.

Looking through the back window, both officers saw the pistol grip of a gun behind the front seat next to a softball bat.

Lomas went inside to get a key for the car from Rajgopaul, who was hiding in a bedroom, high on methamphetamine.

The "small-time drug dealer" owned at least four guns - two handguns, a .22 Marlin rifle and a sawn-off shotgun - Ms Reed said.

He had been living out of histwo BMW cars since moving outof his flat days before.

Rajgopaul gave Lomas a key and Lomas went back outside to the police officers.

Meanwhile, Rajgopaul sneaked out of the house but was spotted by Mr Snow after he heard rustling in the backyard, Ms Reed said.

Mr Snow shone his torch on a man the Crown says was Rajgopaul, who was hiding behind a tree.

Ms Reed said that Mr Snow told the man to come out and then chased him to the corner of the property.

"The man spun around to his left, dropped to one knee, raised both his arms in front of him at the same time and immediately fired at Constable Snow," the prosecutor said.

Mr Snow was hit in the elbow, chest and both legs. The main artery in his leg was hit and he bled heavily.

The jurors were shown photographs yesterday of Mr Snow's notebook. These showed how the bullet had passed through the notebook's cover and stopped in the laminated pages at the back.

"Lying on the ground, he turned his torch off so the gunman would not be able to find his location," Ms Reed said.

Mr Snow watched as the gunman ran down the side of the house. The wounded officer heard Mr Cato making an emergency call to police.

"In the early hours of the morning, Neshanderan Rajgopaul attempted to murder Constable Jeremy Snow. He almost did murder him," Ms Reed said.

She said Rajgopaul also shot at his friend Mr Lomas, who had called out to him, but he missed.

She said he ran from the property and dumped items of clothing and his gun in neighbouring properties.

He was found by a police doghandler and arrested soon after.

Rajgopaul also faces charges relating to previous incidents in which he allegedly threatened three associates with guns in the days leading up to the shooting of Mr Snow.

More than 40 witnesses, including police officers, forensic scientists and friends of Rajgopaul, will be called by the Crown in the case, which has been set down for three weeks before a jury of six men and six women.