Murdered mother 'like lioness protecting cubs'

Joanne McCarthy would have fought like a "lioness protecting her cubs" when an intruder burst into her Whangaparaoa home, her husband told a High Court jury yesterday.

Kurt Bolli was giving evidence in the High Court at Auckland against 32-year-old Travis Burns, who is accused of murdering the 33-year-old kindergarten teacher on November 12, 1998.

Yesterday morning, Justice Chambers, the jury, Crown and defence lawyers, along with Burns, visited the small house on Whangaparaoa Rd, where prosecutors say Burns carried out the brutal killing.

The court has heard that Joanne McCarthy was looking after her son, Marcus, and the child of a friend when she was attacked, probably with a hammer.

Asked by Simon Moore, the Crown Solicitor for Auckland, how his wife would have reacted if confronted by an intruder with children present, Mr Bolli said: "I would put it probably similar to a lioness looking after her cubs ... she would defend the children as much as possible."

At 1.78m, his wife was a fit, strong woman.

Mr Bolli, a self-employed carpenter, told the court how he and Joanne McCarthy first met in London before returning to eventually marry in New Zealand.

Mr Bolli said that on the morning of the killing he left for work about 6.45, kissing his wife before he went.

In the afternoon, a friend telephoned to say the police were at his house.

He told the court he was still in shock when, a few days later, the police asked him to inspect the property to tell them how it had been interfered with.

Mr Bolli also told the jury about his wife's routine, and particularly how she would give Marcus lunch between 11.30 am and noon.

It is the Crown case that Joanne McCarthy was slain as she prepared to feed the children.

Burns, who says he was nowhere near the murder site, was videotaped entering a bank in Milford at 12.50 pm. But the Crown says he was deliberately trying to give himself an alibi after killing Joanne McCarthy.

For a long time a ute said to have been seen near the house was the focus of police attention, but the Crown now says that was a "red herring."

However, Mr Bolli was subjected to intense questioning by Mike Levett, appearing for the defence with Barry Hart, about the mystery vehicle.

Mr Bolli said he did not know of such a vehicle, had no friends, associates or work colleagues with such a vehicle, and was not expecting any workmen at the house that day.

Mr Levett also asked Mr Bolli whether there had been any discussion in the household about steroids.

Appearing surprised, Mr Bolli said there had not. He could not recall if he had ever been asked about steroids by the police.

When asked by Mr Levett if his wife kept large sums of money in the house, thousands or hundreds of dollars, Mr Bolli said there was never thousands of dollars.

He said that between $600 and $800 in a drawer belonged to both of them, not just his wife.

He believed no one else knew of the money.