Lewis' lawyer 'appalled' by $30,000 payment to Burns

11.00 am

The lawyer of murder suspect Christopher Lewis says he is "appalled" that a key witness due to give evidence against his client was paid $30,000 by police.

It was revealed yesterday police paid convicted rapist Travis Burns $30,000 to become a secret witness in the Tania Furlan murder case.

Burns was to have testified that Lewis confessed to him that he went to Mrs Furlan's Howick, Auckland, home in 1996 and bashed her to death with a hammer before snatching her baby.

Burns was later convicted of bludgeoning Joanne McCarthy to death with a hammer in front of her toddler son at Whangaparaoa in November 1998.

Lewis killed himself in Auckland's Mt Eden Prison in 1997 before he could stand trial for the Furlan murder.

He maintained Burns was the real killer.

Lewis' lawyer, David Jones, told National Radio today he was aware Burns was to give evidence against Lewis at trial as he had questioned him during a depositions hearing but was unaware of the payment while he was preparing Lewis' case.

"When I first found out I was appalled and astonished and that remains my reaction... It just dumbfounds me that someone like Burns could be paid that sort of money."

Mr Jones said the payment raised the questions about the evidence Burns was to give against Lewis.

"On Burns' account he came forward of his own volition to give evidence against Lewis. What's the purpose of then having a payment made to him?"

The police said the payment was part of a $50,000 reward that was to be offered.

Mr Jones said police payments were valuable in getting people to come forward but "on the reverse side... these people are coming forward and being paid to give evidence.

"How much does giving truthful evidence actually mean to them compared to the money they are going to get. Some people wouldn't care what they said on oath as long as they are getting paid for it."

Juries also had a right to know whether witnesses were paid for their testimony.

Mr Jones said Lewis had always maintained Burns had killed Mrs Furlan.

He declined to comment further on the issue, saying he did not want to create difficulties in any possible future prosecutions.

Police who reinvestigated the Furlan murder said yesterday they did not have enough evidence to charge Burns with the Furlan murder but were keeping an open mind.

Police defended the payment to Burns.

If Burns had not come forward, the crime might never have been solved, Detective Superintendent Nick Perry said.

- NZPA