Murder-accused called himself 'the Devil'

Police carried out a painstaking scene examination of Totara North's Wairakau Stream Track. Photo / Northern Advocate

Murder-accused Wayne Bracken frequently referred to himself as "the Devil" and called himself "Bracano", saying he was protected by the Italian mafia.

The evidence came from his half-brother Kenneth Bracken under cross-examination by defence lawyer Michael Dodds as the murder trial entered its third week in the High Court at Whangarei yesterday.

The Crown says Jack Davis, 30, a father from Auckland, was killed with a thistle grubber. His body was found near the remote Wairakau bush track on the northern side of the Whangaroa Harbour on February 25, 2011.

Wayne Bracken, 35, and Neville Joseph Dangen, 24, are on trial for the murder and kidnapping of Mr Davis.

In court Kenneth Bracken told of how his older brother was a frequent methamphetamine user and how he had been supplying him with the Class A drug last February - even though Wayne was growing increasingly paranoid.

The jury heard how Wayne Bracken would make anyone around him who had a cellphone either turn them off or take out the battery so his location could not be traced. And people weren't allowed to spray perfume as he thought they were trying to poison him.

Wayne Bracken, on one hand, could be exceedingly polite when he wanted and on the other, especially if he was using methamphetamine, could be frighteningly unpredictable and scary, his brother said.

Kenneth Bracken said in the hours leading up to Mr Davis being tied up, gagged and left in a woolshed, they all had smoked methamphetamine twice.

Wayne and Kenneth Bracken along with Neville Dangen and Mr Davis had been in the Kaeo area helping Wayne Bracken and another brother Fred move out of a house in Otangaroa Rd.

Some of the gear had been dropped off at Dangen's house. Kenneth Bracken had previously given evidence that his brother forced him to tie up Mr Davis in the garage as he stood over them wielding a thistle grubber.

Lawyer Gary Gotlieb, appearing for Wayne Bracken, said his client was not there when Mr Davis was tied up and forced to lie on the concrete garage floor.

Kenneth Bracken said his brother had been the one to shut the garage door and was threatening him.