Crown: 'No one deserves to die the way Raymond and James Fleet did'

Raymond Fleet (left) and James Fleet. Photo / File

James Fleet was executed in a cold, clinical killing because he had seen what happened to his uncle Raymond and he had to go, the prosecutor has told the jury trying two men charged with murdering both the Fleets.

Duncan McWilliam was closing the Crown's case today in the High Court at Rotorua where Mikaere James Hura, 21, and Zen Pulemoana, 27, have denied both murders at Mamaku on August 7 last year.

They are jointly charged with Martin Hone who has pleaded guilty to both murders.

Manslaughter charges have been admitted by Richard Te Kani who had also been present when the Fleets died.

McWilliam said it was the Crown's case that nothing good was going to happen when the Fleets were taken down a forestry road for a second time on the day they died.

Hura and Pulemoana had been there both times and were present when they were hit with a shovel.

"The minute Hone started taking to Raymond Fleet with that shovel he was gone . . . their [the defendants'] acts in assisting and encouraging him makes these two liable for Raymond's murder," McWilliam submitted.

He added it defied logic that they had not been aware what was going to happen to James Fleet.

He told jurors all the background details such as a methamphetamine cook gone wrong and that Raymond Fleet was a prime suspect in what was believed to be a rip off from the batch being manufactured was background material that kicked in and they had to consider.

He reminded them it was Pulemoana who had collected James Fleet from his home, never to be seen again.

Discussing the possibility of considering manslaughter verdicts, McWilliam insisted Hura and Pulemoana knew what was going on, that there was going to be an assault in the bush by Hone on both Fleets and they'd provided physical and psychological assistance.

"Once the assault at the gate happened they were on notice they knew what he [Hone] was capable of... when they went further into the bush they knew no good would come of it, that the beating was going to carry on, they knew what was going to happen, they played their part."

He said even from the default position of being parties to what occurred the defendants were guilty of murder.

Earlier in his address he branded methamphetamine as a scourge on society that causes immeasurable harm, noting it was interwoven into much of the evidence but told jurors even if they believed Raymond Fleet had made a conscious decision to manufacture it they must put that to one side.

"No one deserves to die the way he and James Fleet did," Mr William said.

Before the Crown began its closing argument Justice Sally Fitzgerald dismissed a charge against Hura of intentionally possessing a precursor to manufacturing methamphetamine.

He continues to face charges of intentionally possessing materials to manufacture the drug and possessing equipment to do so.