Jury continues deliberations over Taupo murder accused

Murder accused from left, Cody Griffin, Whakapumatanga Clarke and Daniel Chase at the Hamilton High Court.

A jury has begun continuing its deliberations over whether three Taupo men are guilty of the murder of a Taupo drug dealer.

Cody Griffin, 25, Whakapumautanga "Cookie" Clarke, 25, and Daniel Chase, 22, have been on trial in the High Court at Hamilton for just over a week defending charges of murder of Scott John Henry and the aggravated robbery of his backpack.

Lawyers for all accused finished up their closing statements yesterday morning, before Justice Sarah Katz issued her summing up.

She then sent the jury out at 4.15pm yesterday before calling them back in at 5pm.

The jury were then sent home overnight before returning today.

They were sent out again to resume deliberations at 10am today.

The Crown alleged the trio hatched a plan to go to Henry's Whangamata Rd home on July 20, last year to steal his drugs and money.

They went armed with a loaded firearm which showed they had intent to use it.

Clarke, through his lawyer Max Simpkins, admitted shooting Henry but said it was an "accident", and told the jury to hold him to account by finding him guilty of manslaughter.

Griffin and Chase deny both murder and manslaughter but their lawyers told the jury it was up to them to decide whether they were guilty of aggravated robbery.

Griffin's lawyer John Munro submitted their plan was a "low level attempt to shake the money tree" and it was in no way sophisticated.