Turiarangi Tai guilty of murdering mother-of-two Chozyn Koroheke

Chozyn Koroheke and Sheldon Cook met on their first day at Pakuranga College and had been firm friends ever since.

The man who fatally shot mother-of-two Chozyn Koroheke has been found guilty of murder by a jury.

Turiarangi Tai, 23, and a 25-year-old woman accused of helping him evade capture from police after the fatal shooting of Koroheke had been on trial in the High Court at Auckland since the start of the month.

Tai was charged and pleaded not guilty to Koroheke's murder but pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm.

He had claimed the gun had discharged by accident but the jury today found him guilty of murder.

Tai made gang-related hand gestures as he was led out of the dock. He will be sentenced on June 29.

Tai's co-defendant, who has interim name suppression, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder. The jury found her not guilty.

Chozyn's family tearfully thanked the jury of six women and six men as they were dismissed.

Mum-of-two Chozyn Koroheke was killed on April 4 last year. Photo / Supplied

Koroheke, 22, was shot at close range on April 4 last year in Pakuranga Heights, during a domestic argument.

Her brother witnessed the fatal shot.

The court heard that Koroheke's death was the tragic end to a series of brutal domestic-violence incidents.

Crown prosecutor Mark Williams said Tai had beaten Koreheke throughout their short but volatile relationship, including hitting her in the head with a rock and stabbing her in the thigh.

Williams said she died from a single gunshot to the right side of her abdomen.

Tai and Koroheke were living in the Auckland house with Koroheke's brother and partner.

Williams said the home was the scene of many fights and Tai and Koroheke's relationship was characterised by violence.

It was following another series of verbal barbs, he told the court, that Tai fired the 12-gauge double barrel shotgun, loaded with a single cartridge, killing his partner.

The court heard Koroheke's gut wound came from a shot fired no more than 50cm away.

Despite paramedics being called, she was pronounced dead in the back of an ambulance.

After the shooting Tai then went on the run for some two weeks before eventually handing himself in.

Tai's lawyer Peter Kaye had asked the jury to find his client guilty of manslaughter, arguing there was no murderous intent.

"We all know we are here because a 22-year-old woman has died, we can never bring her back," he said during his opening statement.

"There's no argument about who had the gun, there's not argument about it discharging - there's no issue - there's no argument it caused death."