George Taiaroa, the stop-go worker who was shot dead on March 19, 2013. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
"You're joking" were the first words uttered by construction superintendent Andy Searancke when he was told his stop-go operator George Taiaroa had been shot, a court has heard.
Mr Searancke was the final witness called to the stand on day two of Quinton Winders' murder trial.
When prompted by Crown solicitor Amanda Gordon, Mr Searancke shared his recollection of the day Mr Taiaroa was shot.
"I drove [to the scene] and saw George lying on the ground. I got out and went over as quickly as I could... another guy yelled out 'he's been shot'. I remember thinking 'you're joking', but it was no joke. Someone then yelled out that it was a blue Jeep Cherokee."
Mr Searancke called 111 from the scene and told the court he became frustrated trying to direct emergency services to their location.
When asked how long it took for the first police officer to arrive, Mr Searancke said he would only be guessing but "it felt like an eternity".
"[Police] were followed by an ambulance and then a helicopter."
He said when the other stop-go worker, Michael Pengelly, reached the scene he didn't do much, which Mr Searancke put down to Mr Pengelly being in shock.
Earlier in the Crown's questioning Ms Gordon asked about Mr Taiaroa's job description and the other stop-go operators, Mr Pengelly and the reserve, Edward Morehu.
Ms Gordon specifically asked whether Mr Taiaroa ever swapped positions with Mr Pengelly. Mr Searancke confirmed that they swapped positions often.
Mr Searancke will be cross-examined by Winders' lawyer, Jonathan Temm tomorrow when the trial resumes.
Earlier:
Detective Steven Lockett has been grilled by Winders' lawyer Jonathan Temm about the data requested and warrants executed by police on Winders and his family during the investigation into George Taiaroa's death.
On March 19, 2013 Mr Lockett was one of a number who responded to the 111 call from Tram Rd.
In the following investigation, Mr Lockett was involved in obtaining data for landline phones and cellphones.
Mr Temm questioned Mr Lockett on the "many many police production orders" requested by police including data from telephone companies about Winders' cellphone and the landline of Max and Janet Winders.
He made the point that Mr Lockett "hit the ball out of the park" with the application of 52 production orders.
Mr Temm also questioned production order applications made for data from Winders' university, Lincoln, and high school, Kings College, though Mr Lockett said he had no knowledge of those production orders.
Following Mr Lockett's evidence, a written statement from David Boot, a document examiner for New Zealand Police, was read out to the court by the registrar.
Earlier this afternoon insurance claim consultant Chrissie McClenaghan was recalled for cross-examination from Mr Temm.
During questioning Mrs McClenaghan confirmed she received an email on April 5, forwarded from a colleague, from Detective Helen Beck, requesting information about all the insurance policies of Max Winders and his wife, Janet.
On April 5 Mrs McClenaghan told police Max Winders' trailer was covered under his insurance. Mr Temm then questioned why it was not until March 22 that Mrs McClenaghan contacted Max Winders to let him know his trailer was covered by his insurance.
She could not recall whether police had told her not to contact Max Winders.
Mr Temm went on to question whether Mrs McClenaghan had any recollection of police telling her to "put pressure on Max Winders". She did not.
Earlier:
Witnesses from 'Phase Two' of the police investigation into the death of George Taiaroa have taken the stand.
Insurance claim consultants Samantha Gowland-Priest and Chrissie McClenaghan have been questioned by the Crown and Quinton Winders' lawyer, Jonathan Temm.
It is day two of the trial of Winders, the man accused of killing Mr Taiaroa on March 19, 2013.
'Phase Two' of the police investigation centres around the insurance claim made by Max Winders, the father of Winders, following the minor crash he and his son were involved in on March 12, 2013.
Two recordings of phone conversations between Max Winders and the two consultants were played to the court.
The first recording with Ms Gowland-Priest revealed Max Winders initially said the other car had crashed into him from behind. Later in the same conversation he said it was he who crashed into the other car while reversing.
The second recording was of a conversation between Max Winders and Ms McClenaghan. Max Winders was questioned as to why he did not mention he was towing a trailer at the time of the crash.
His explanation was that he did not think it was important to the insurance claim as the trailer was not damaged.
Earlier today, two more witnesses who saw the crash on March 12 were questioned by the Crown and Mr Temm.
They were machine operators, Tetauvira Tearii and Daphne Ratu who were working on the road works involved in building the bridge at Atiamuri in 2013.
Ms Ratu said she was across the road from Mr Taiaroa at the time of the crash.
She said after Max Winders' vehicle overshot the stop sign, Mr Taiaroa beckoned with hand motions for him to reverse.
She said Mr Taiaroa knew the other car had come up behind as that car was "right beside him".
When questioned by Mr Temm, Ms Ratu confirmed she thought [Max Winders] was "not paying attention" when he overshot the stop sign.
Mr Temm reiterated, confirmed by Ms Ratu, that no anger was directed toward Mr Taiaroa after the crash.
The trial continues.
Earlier:
Max Winders gave the impression he knew nothing about George Taiaroa being killed when told about it by the owner of the car he crashed into, a jury has heard.
The revelation was made during the second day of Quinton Paul Winders' trial, the man accused of killing Mr Taiaroa while he worked as a stop-go operator on March 19, 2013.
Two witnesses took the stand this morning to discuss the events before, during and after the crash considered by the Crown to be the "catalyst" to Mr Taiaroa's death.
Bridget Scully and William Lane were questioned by the Crown's Chris Macklin and Winders' lawyer Jonathan Temm.
Ms Scully was the first to take the stand and said there was an "agreement" following the crash that Mr Taiaroa "was not doing his job properly".
Yesterday fellow passenger and witness Michelle O'Donnell said she remembered Mr Taiaroa sitting either inside or on the back of his ute, with his stop sign leaning against his vehicle.
It was because Mr Taiaroa was not operating his stop sign that Ms O'Donnell said the vehicle she was travelling in, and Max Winders' vehicle overshot the stop sign.
Max Winders started reversing his vehicle, with a trailer transporting stock attached, and failed to see the other vehicle behind him. There was a minor collision.
Ms Scully said after the crash she had tried to get in contact with the driver of the other vehicle but was unsuccessful.
"I wasn't worried at that time, because it was only a few days after the crash... I thought he would be phoning us back."
When questioned by Mr Temm, Ms Scully confirmed that following the crash herself and the two others in her car had a conversation about what had happened.
She agreed it was the collective view that the stop-go worker had not been doing his job as well as he could have but did not recall discussions about contacting the worker's company.
Mr Temm reiterated Ms Scully made one call to Max Winders, during which she spoke to an older lady who was polite and said Max was out but she would get the message to him.
He also relayed that Ms Scully's partner, William, then followed up on the insurance claim. Ms Scully confirmed William did get a phone call from Max Winders, insurance was filled out, the claim was accepted, the repair done and car returned.
Mr Lane was then called to give evidence on the damage to his car as a result of the March 12 crash.
He spoke of his "frustration" trying to get the insurance so his car could be fixed.
"My partner Bridget was pregnant at the time and we lived in a remote area so we needed to get the car fixed quickly... I felt like I was being fobbed off because I had made several phone calls but was not getting anywhere."
Mr Lane said Max Winders "eventually" returned his calls and he was able to "get the claim number and move forward".
He said he only spoke with Max Winders once.
When being questioned by Mr Temm, Mr Lane confirmed he had mentioned the stop-go worker who was shot to Max Winders and that [Max Winders] "gave the impression he did not know anythng about it".
Earlier:
The trial of Quinton Winders, the man accused of murdering stop-go worker George Taiaroa, will continue today.
Winders, 45, pleaded not guilty in December last year to the murder of Taiaroa, 65, who was shot dead while operating a stop-go sign at roadworks in Atiamuri, north of Taupo, in 2013.
The first witness of the day will be Bridget Scully. She was one of the passengers in the car involved in a minor crash with Winders and his father Max Winders on March 12, 2013.
The Crown claims this crash was the "catalyst" for Winders shooting Taiaroa a week later, on March 19.
