Orren Scott Williams says he acted in self defence after fatally shooting one man and seriously injuring three others during an armed break-in of his home. Photo / Belinda Feek
Orren Scott Williams says he acted in self defence after fatally shooting one man and seriously injuring three others during an armed break-in of his home. Photo / Belinda Feek
A man who was shot twice after breaking into the home of a Kawhia man was last seen getting out of the bullet-ridden vehicle and collapsing to the ground.
Emma Salvation told the High Court at Hamilton today it was about 5am on June 6 last year and after pullingup to Hauturu School she ran to check on him as he lay on the ground before yelling at his injured friends to come and be with him as he was about to die.
Earlier that morning, about 3.30am, Shaun Te Kanawa, Grayson Toilolo, Joe Tumaialu and Faalili Moleli Fauatea broke into the home of Orren Scott Williams who is currently on trial in the High Court at Hamilton defending a charge of murder and three charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The crown yesterday told the jury the four "ran for their lives" towards their vehicle as Williams fired the shots from his military style semi automatic rifle. His bullets either hit the victims or the blue Toyota Harrier they were travelling in.
The bullets hit the car, about 45m away, with such impact they blew out the rear windows and travelled not only through the car's metal but also through the seats the victims were sitting in, leaving them covered in blood.
However, defence counsel Philip Morgan QC said that his client was not guilty of all charges as he had been acting in self defence and denied they were fleeing for their lives, but accepted they were leaving the property.
"They certainly left and after they had been shot, but this case ... of the defendant revenging himself on these men ... is nothing more than Crown counsel's theory."
He told the jury they would have to decide if Williams was justified in his use of force in the circumstances and whether it was reasonable.
The crown's first witness of the trial was Emma Salvation, 23, a close family friend of the couple and who had known Taryn Williams for about 13 years.
She gave evidence how she bought a "tinnie" from Williams on the afternoon of June 5 and noticed two large black bags full of cannabis.
He then offered her a "puff" of methamphetamine which she accepted but was asked by Williams not to tell his wife that they were smoking.
Salvation said the pair then had an argument as she asked him why he had to be so secretive "about everything he did".
He replied to her that his relationship with his wife "goes both ways" and they were both good for each other.
However, Salvation said his wife was too good for him and left.
The Toyota Harrier vehicle which Orren Williams fired at as the occupants fled after breaking into his home during the early hours of June 6, last year. Photo / File
After getting back in the car with Te Kanawa, and her then 14-year-old cousin, she told him that she had seen the two big bags of cannabis and that it "would be a good earn".
They drove to the Te Waitere Boat Club where they drank Cody's and smoked a bit of the cannabis. She told him how the bags of weed "would be easy to get" by jumping in and out an open window that she had noticed.
warned Te Kanawa that if Williams heard them, he would shoot them.
"[That] if he was heard and got caught he would get shot," she told crown prosecutor Jacinda Hamilton during questioning.
Salvation then drew up two sketches; one of the garage and the adjoining room where the cannabis was, and another sketch including the house, showing where the cannabis and gun safe were stored, as well as the safe and which rooms the children were in.
She eventually decided to go home after getting multiple calls from her mother, and dropped Te Kanawa at the SH31 intersection with Harbour Rd where he was picked up by a friend.
About 4.20am she received a message from Te Kanawa saying "hospital".
She replied "you okay" and he texted back, "I'm shot babe" before she called him. She drove to Hauturu School and got there about 5am to find the local school principal and her husband helping the group.
Three of the men, including Te Kanawa, ran over to her vehicle and jumped in the back seat.
She said Fauatea went to get out of the car, then collapsed on the ground. She went over and sat with him before noticing Te Kanawa fall out the back seat of her ute on to the ground.
She then yelled out to the men to come and lie with Fauatea "because he's going to die".
"So they got out of the truck and sat next to their friend and were talking to him."
She asked them who shot them and Te Kanawa replied "the guy who you got the tinnie off".
Defence counsel Philip Morgan QC put to Salvation that she had "made up a little story" about her fight with Williams that night.
She adamantly denied that, saying she'd had many discussions with his wife who was concerned about his "sneaky" behaviour.
"My friend had been telling me about all these things ... I have seen her upset that he was lying to her and being sneaky. I had just gone through a relationship where my partner was sneaky."
Morgan also questioned her about marking where in the house the drugs, guns and safe were kept. After questioning how close she was with Taryn Williams, he then asked her why she would confirm that the safe was kept in her room.
She said it was simply to show Te Kanawa where the safe was.
Salvation accepted she knew there was money in the safe but denied suggestions that Te Kanawa wanted to steal the guns as they were worth a lot of money on the black market.
