Police shooter also opened fire on drug associate

Neshanderan Rajgopaul in the dock at the Auckland High Court. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A witness testifying in the trial of a man accused of trying to kill a police officer said the defendant also opened fire on him while the officer screamed in agony nearby.

Neshanderan Rajgopaul, 29, is charged with the attempted murder of policeman Jeremy Snow in Papatoetoe after Mr Snow and a partner stopped to check a car in a driveway which they believed was being broken into.

Mr Snow was shot four times. Three of the bullets penetrated his body, one hitting a major blood vessel in his leg.

He was rescued by armed police but came close to dying from blood loss.

Giving evidence in the High Court at Auckland today, Gavin Lomas, who was also at the house that night, said he was also shot by Rajgopaul, one bullet piercing his forearm and another grazing his arm.

Mr Lomas had been smoking drugs with Rajgopaul and Rajgopaul's friend, Darrin Court, before the shooting.

"We smoked a bit of meth and I had a couple of spots of cannabis."

When the police arrived at the property, Rajgopaul told Mr Lomas to "go and sort them out".

Mr Lomas made up a story about the car belonging to a friend who was out drinking, which seemed to work, he said.

But Mr Snow came back after discovering the car was listed as stolen and asked Mr Lomas for the key, while Rajgopaul and Mr Court were "freaking out" inside.

The key did not work so Mr Snow and his colleague, Constable Robert Cato, shone their torches through a window and saw the butt of a gun.

Mr Lomas said he heard rustling in some bushes as Mr Snow started walking around the property.

"That's when we heard shots going off."

He heard Mr Snow screaming in pain, while he and Mr Cato ducked for cover.

Mr Lomas said he then saw Rajgopaul coming towards him from behind the garage.

"I couldn't see if it was a pistol or a rifle but he was holding something and pointing it at me.

"I held my hands up and said 'hey bro' - I thought I might have been able to talk him down - but he just started shooting at me.

"I ran down the driveway, ran for my life."

Mr Lomas said he felt something hit his arm before he dived for cover over a neighbour's fence.

As well as the attempted murder charge, Rajgopaul faces one charge of threatening to kill, one charge of firing a weapon with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, four charges of unlawfully possessing a firearm, possessing a class A drug for supply and receiving stolen property.

He also faces two charges of assault using a firearm as a weapon relating to incidents between November and December 2009.

Rajgopaul has pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges, his lawyer, Ron Mansfield arguing the shooter was actually Darrin Court.

The trial continues.

- NZPA