Armed police outside the Trig Rd property where Coubin Tamatoa was killed last year. Photo / Dean Purcell
Armed police outside the Trig Rd property where Coubin Tamatoa was killed last year. Photo / Dean Purcell
In a wild night of fights and meltdowns ending in a fatal stabbing, a man left his best friend on the brink of tears after throwing a crumpet at him.
The late Coubin Tamatoa's friends outlined his final hours to jurors at the High Court in Auckland today.
Isaac Allen Harnwell has pleaded not guilty to murdering Tamatoa, who died at a sprawling Whenuapai property in August last year.
The Crown says Harnwell hated Tamatoa with a passion and hid in a room for hours, then plunged a knife into his chest and eye before fleeing.
The defence says Tamatoa was enraged and jealous during a drug-addled evening of mayhem, and Harnwell was defending himself or Tamatoa's ex-girlfriend.
Tiatia said he took this to mean Tamatoa was worried about something.
He said he asked what Tamatoa meant, but got no reply, and went to the Trig Rd property anyway.
"If he ran into any trouble, I was right there."
Defence counsel Andrew Speed asked if "standby" referred to a standover, but Tiatia replied: "I don't know what you're talking about".
A few days before the stabbing, Tamatoa stole the meth precursor ephedrine from his ex-girlfriend Ranee Rapihana, and Harnwell said he was shot at.
"Aren't you curious about what he wanted you to do, and why?" Speed asked Tiatia today. "Are you a mechanic, an electrician?"
Tiatia, nicknamed "Gusa", said he was there to help with whatever was needed, such as "doing the dishes".
He said multiple arguments erupted that night and he stopped one fight involving Tamataoa and another man, but Tamatoa flared up again and harassed Rapihana.
Tiatia said that disturbed him, and he told Tamatoa to treat Rapihana better, but his friend responded unpleasantly.
He said Tamatoa threw a crumpet at him, which was upsetting, and made him leave.
BEDROOM TRASHED
Monique Darby was also at the Trig Rd property that night, and said Tiatia left "because Coubin was being a bit of an egg".
She said Tamatoa had a meltdown with Rapihana.
"Gusa told him that he had to stop causing scenes and breaking things. Coubin threw a crumpet and said 'I don't get involved with you and your girlfriend'."
She added: "Gusa was tearing up and said he couldn't do this anymore."
The pair kept arguing but also took drugs together, including GBL.
"His doses kicked in. He gets hot, he takes his clothes off and gets a bit loud. He'll stomp his feet," she said when asked to describe the drug's effect.
She said Tamatoa had a 4ml dose of GBL, measured with a syringe.
Rapihana said her relationship with Tamatoa was toxic and volatile.
She said her ex-boyfriend would accuse her of having affairs with many people but he would never confront the accused person.
The trial before Justice Mathew Downs and the jury continues.
