Neighbours heard bang, groans in accused's flat

By SCOTT MacLEOD

Three women say they heard arguing, a loud bang and groaning coming from a flat beneath their Mt Wellington home the night an Indian man was killed by a gunshot.

Ranvir Sharma's body was found in the boot of his car in Ellerslie last February, nine hours after he had taken a phone call and told his wife he was popping out to buy milk.

Marua Rd resident Linda Wagner told a depositions hearing in the Auckland District Court yesterday that she was woken from an afternoon sleep on February 27 by a noisy row in the downstairs flat, occupied by Yash Paul.

Paul denies murdering 40-year-old Mr Sharma.

Mrs Wagner said that after that night's netball test with Australia, she heard a "big loud bang - very loud" coming from the flat. She then heard "sounds like someone was very sick, not well, like moaning. It moaned three times."

Her 17-year-old daughter, Norlin Mau'pese, rushed to the window. She said she saw Paul run from his unit, dump a rifle on the road, back his car up to it, throw the gun in and drive off.

The women and Mrs Wagner's sister said they had no phone and were too terrified to leave their home to ring police.

Crown Solicitor Simon Moore earlier told the court that Mr Sharma was killed by a single bullet to the chest as he lay on an air-mattress. A high-powered, lever-action rifle was produced in court.

The Crown has yet to show a motive for the shooting.

Mrs Wagner said that the day after the loud bang, a Sunday, she heard more noises in Paul's flat, as though furniture was being moved.

On Monday morning, Paul came upstairs to drop off some items he had borrowed.

Asked about the noises, he told Mrs Wagner that a man had turned up upset after an argument with his brother. The man had shot himself while Paul was fetching him water.

Defence lawyer Ajit Singh put it to Mrs Wagner that Paul often played a Hindu radio station in his flat, which could account for some of the noises.

Mr Sharma's body, wrapped in bedclothes, was found car near the Ellerslie shopping centre. The rifle was found in the middle of nearby Ballarat St.

The hearing should finish early next week.