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Home / New Zealand

Live updates: Defence calls first witness in stop-go murder trial

Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
By Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
News Director, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
5 Sep, 2016 06:06 AM4 mins to read

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Quinton Paul Winders. PHOTO/FILE

Quinton Paul Winders. PHOTO/FILE

A man who shot Quinton Winders' goats says he lied about it when confronted because he saw a shotgun on Winders' lap and knew of his reputation for being "unpredictable".

Aaron Jane was called as one of nine defence witnesses in week five of the murder trial of Winders, 45, the man accused of killing stop-go worker George Taiaroa.

Mr Taiaroa, 65, was shot dead while operating a stop-go sign at roadworks in Atiamuri, north of Taupo, in March 2013.

Mr Jane, who gave evidence via video link, spoke about an incident that happened in August 2012 during which he and Glenn Law shot some goats on Winders' Pohokura property.

"We were travelling on Ohura Rd and decided we would go shoot some goats. We found some on the side of the road and some in a paddock...It was just a stupid thing I did.

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"We shot three or four then carried on to our friend's house where we had a cup of tea.

"Quin arrived shortly after wanting to know why we shot his goats. We were sitting on the deck outside the house. We heard his vehicle coming - it came around the corner pretty fast.

"He stopped and started yelling at us, accusing us of shooting his goats. He was saying things like 'have you guys been shooting my f****** goats' and 'why did you shoot my goats.

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"It was when he opened his door we saw he had a shotgun on his lap. Straight away we denied shooting his goats because everyone knows Quin is unpredictable... We wanted to try calm the situation.

"It was scary enough to not want anything to do with [Winders]."

It was the only occasion he had ever spoken with Winders.

Earlier Winders' lawyer Jonathan Temm called Garry Hooper to the stand.

Mr Hooper gave evidence about a dark-colour Jeep Cherokee that emerged from the forest near Tram Rd in March 2013 that made the hair on his neck stand up.

"My hair's done that maybe two or three times in my life, and that was one of them.

He said it was too dark to make out the colour or brand of the vehicle but he knew it was dark-coloured and "not a Land Rover".

"I had a very eerie feeling being there... I spotted the Jeep coming out of the bush with no lights on or anything... It was the no lights that made my hair stand on end."

Mr Hooper couldn't remember the date he saw the vehicle but said it was a couple of days later he found out police were looking for witnesses in relation to stop-go worker George Taiaroa's death.

During cross-examination Crown prosecutor Chris Macklin said Mr Hooper originally thought the occupants of the vehicle were tending to their marijuana crop in the bush and feared he had disturbed them, to which Mr Hooper agreed.

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Alysha Hoogendoorn gave evidence about a "weird man" she saw standing in the bushes near Tram Rd the day Mr Taiaroa was shot and killed.

Ms Hoogendoorn was travelling to her friend's house in Whakamaru on March 19, 2013.

She went through the roadworks on Tram Rd and had a brief conversation with Mr Taiaroa before continuing her journey.

After she passed the bridge and neared the intersection of Tram Rd and Tirohanga Rd she saw a man half in and half out of the bush on the left.

"He was scruffy looking with darker skin. He was just standing there sort of strange. I saw him look at me and then I just carried on.

"I had a bit of a strange feeling about it... I remember his hair was messy... there was no vehicles around him."

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She said she saw the man around 2.15-2.20pm.

Police later presented Ms Hoogendoorn with a photo montage. She said the man in photo six looked similar to the "weird man in the bushes" but that the man she saw was quite a bit darker.

The jury also heard from Tokoroa logger Lionel Gage and Peter Moran, a property maintenance worker, about sightings of a blue Jeep Cherokee on and around Tram Rd and Tirohanga Rd.

Today saw the conclusion of evidence in the trial and tomorrow both the Crown and defence will give their closing statements.

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