By CATHERINE MASTERS
MACAPA - The trial of those accused of killing and robbing Sir Peter Blake began in Brazil early today amid tight security for the New Zealand crew members giving evidence.
Shortly before midnight New Zealand time the six handcuffed accused were led into a room next to the courtroom in Macapa by six Brazilian federal police armed with sub-machineguns.
The man accused of firing the fatal shot, Ricardo Colares Tavares, aged 22, appeared agitated.
All six are charged with armed robbery resulting in death.
Before the trial, the three Seamaster crewmen due to give evidence - Aucklanders Geoff Bullock, Rodger Moore and Leon Sefton - were taken to a hotel said to be the most secure in the area. It is protected by 3m-high walls and has 24-hour security.
The security is understood to be for the men's comfort rather than against a specific threat.
The crewmen spent yesterday checking proceedings with the federal prosecutor and meeting two interpreters from the local English language school who will translate their testimony into Portuguese.
As the trial began, the accused were sitting about 4m from where the crewmen will give their testimony.
Trial exhibits, including Sir Peter's rifle, which he fired at the raiders, were laid out on a table in the 10m by 20m courtroom.
New Zealand's Ambassador to Brazil, Denise Almao, who is in Macapa to support the crew members and monitor the trial, said yesterday that she found the men in "much better shape" than when she saw them shortly after the shooting.
"I think because of the conditions under which they are here, with full protection and assistance from the judicial authorities, that they are feeling very strong about giving their testimony," said Ms Almao.
"They want to give their testimony to bring Sir Peter's murderers to justice."
All six of the gang of bandits who stormed Seamaster about 10 pm on December 9, soon after it had returned from its journey up the Amazon River, are charged under Brazil's maritime piracy law.
The three witnesses' hotel is about 10km from Macapa at Fazendinha, where the crew of Seamaster spent a pleasant afternoon eating and drinking just hours before the attack that ended Sir Peter's life.
Fazendinha, on the banks of the Amazon, is regarded as a resort in Brazil. Families go there to eat, listen to music and swim in the river.
Waitress Claudia Costa, of the Bar Du Bizerra, was one of the last people to meet Sir Peter that day in Fazendinha.
She said his death had saddened her.
She had noticed the silver-coloured Seamaster as soon as it arrived, and assumed it was a foreign tourist vessel. She had never seen anything like it before.
Seven of the crew came ashore by dinghy about 4 pm and returned to the boat at 7 pm.
Ms Costa said they ordered shrimp and fresh fried fish at the restaurant and had nine glasses of a strong local spirit mixed with lime and sugar and nine beers among them.
Sir Peter gave her a generous 10 real ($10) tip. "They [had] just finished their trip up the Amazon and were in high spirits, laughing and joking."
They asked to wash their faces and she showed them the bathroom.
"They were very, very nice people, very fun people."
The other waiters had started hassling her because they wanted to serve the foreigners.
Ms Costa said she had felt lucky.
Sir Peter told her they would come back the next day to take photographs., but he was never to return.
Ms Costa hopes justice will be done to his killers.
"I would like to see them behind bars. He didn't deserve that."