Manslaughter of bach-mate at Motueka denied

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 4

Manslaughter of bach-mate at Motueka denied

Nelson reporter j! / . I / The trial Of a young rtiah,|< charged with the fiiailslaugh-i! ter of a bach-riiato at Mo-i‘ tueka, began in the High 1 Court at Nelson yestefdayi] morning before Mr Justice I* O’Regan and a jury. I s Gregory Leonard Raumati, aged 23, a concrete worker, pleaded not guilty to strik- j ing Richard Martuhira Tan-j sley, also known as Manu Sela Scia, thereby killing him. I He Was represented bv Mr A. E. Webber. Mr C. J.' McGuire appeared for the , Crown. , In his address to the jury I

Mr McGuire said that on; August 16, last year, the ac-ic cused had been told in a:| ! Motueka hotel that Scia Sciajs Shad-alleged that he was not! 'pulling his weight around < the bach in which he, Scia ! I Scia. and a rrian named Ran- I 'sfield were living. I I Angered at this, the accused had returned home < and found Scia Scia asleep .1 'in bed. He roused him, con- ’ ’fronted him with what he I was alleged to have said, ' and then punched him in the I face several times. ; The assault in the bed-r room continued into the kit-! chen area, and in the course i of being punched Scia Scia’s i head hit a concrete wall. J

The accused had then; opened the door, and HadJ pushed Scia Scia outside,] said Mr McGuire. Shortly afterwards the ac-; cused went looking for Scia. Scia and found him lying on| the pathway about 200m] from the bach. He and Ransfield had carried him back to the : ; house and put him to bed.| They believed he was asleep,; because he was making a: “snoring sound,’’ said Mr' McGuire. The two men went off to ■ work the next day after not-] Hng that Scia Scia was still] in bed. apparently asleepi and snoring, said Mr. ' McGuire. J_

I ■ They tried to rouse him, but were unable to. That I night a friend with some ; knowledge of first aid coti- ' firmed that Scia Scia was very ill, and called a doctor. I The doctor recognised that iScia Scia was in a deep coma and had him admitted to hospital, said Mr .McGuire. I An operation was peri formed to ease the pressure ]on his brain, but he remained in a deep coma and died' on August 23. A post-mor-tem examination revealed] isevere brain damage, he ' The 'Crown will call 26 (witnesses in the