Men for trial on murder, accessories charges

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 4

Men for trial on murder, accessories charges

PA Rotorua; A Taupo bushman. Masoni Turanganui Mararna. aged; 23, was yesterday committed, for triak in the High Court! on a charge of murder. He is . charged with mur-* deririg'Alan David Turner at! Taupo, on or about August: 16. Police allege that Turner w is beaten to death and his ■ body was thrown over the Huka Falls. On .the: fourth day of a ; depositions hearing which ■ was transferred to the Dis-: trict’Courl at Rotorua from , Taupo, Judge Monaghan remanded Mararna in custody , to appear in the High Court session beginning on November 24. - ■ ' Three defendants charged with being accessories after! the face — Paul Patterson,! aged 2.1, a bush contractor,; of Whakatane, Adrian Nga-I motu, aged 17, a post cutter,: of Taupo, and Alan John: Heagney, aged 17, unem-j ployed, of Tokoroa — were! also committed for trial ini the. High Court at Rotorua ; on the same date. All defendants pleaded not( guilty. ' The final witness, Detec-I

ttive Inspector P. S. Seaman,, ; officer-in-charge of the Ro-; torua District of the C.1.8.J jsaid members of the Taupo! : Black Power gang had des-j icribed to him how Mararna i Shad punched and kicked! ■Turner. I ! The Crown prosecutor Mr; G. T. O’Sullivan) opposed; bail for Patterson because of! considerable concern police had over possible gang reprisals between the Tokoroa and Taupo Black Power groups. The Judge remanded Patterson in custody. Ngamotu and Heagney were remanded on bail. The Court earlier heard that in a statement Heagney said he went to the police and said that Taupo Black Power members had killed Mr Turner and thrown his body over the Huka Falls on August 16. “It’s no bloody joke — I had to drive them with Turner out to the falls. I saw them throw his body into the river,” Heagney was alleged to have said. Heagney allegedly said that Mararna had earlier hit Mr Turner in rhe face.

head, and front part of the body. Mr Turner was kicked four or five times and punched about the head and face. His lips were cut and starting to swell. As he lay on the floor he was punched about a dozen times.

Heagney said he would not drive the car to the falls but was ■ told,. he would be “punched over”if he refused.

Mr Turner’s body was stretched out on the back seat of the car on its side. Mararna told Heagney to drive the car slowly to the falls.

Heagney said Patterson, Ngamotu, and Mararna took the body from the car to the middle of the bridge and tossed jt over.

Evidence leading up to the death of Mr Turner was given earlier by Naria Tuihana Simmonds, an enrolled nurse, of Taupo. She told the Court that at the municipal camping ground Mr Turner was lying on the floor of one of the cabins after being punched and kicked by Mararna.

After telling Mararna to stop punching Mr Turner, witness said, she heard Mr Turner making “gurgling sounds.”

She stuck her finger down his throat and he vomited a small amount. She knelt down and put Mr Turner’s head on her lap. She checked his pulse, which was very weak. It then stopped. Miss Simmonds proceeded . with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but could not see Mr Turner’s chest rising, and Heagney applied cardiac massage.