Identity of witness will be secret

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 8

Identity of witness will be secret

PA Wellington A secret woman witness will give evidence of comments allegedly made by Michael John Sneller and Wayne Morris Carstairs after they had beaten a Lower Hutt builder, Robert Giovanni Cancian, at his home in February, the Crown prosecutor, Mr Jim Larsen, said in the High Court at Wellington yesterday.

Mr Larsen said that Mr Cancian had died as a result of the softball bat blows by one of the two men.

He was giving his opening address at the start of the trial of Carstairs and Sneller, who are jointly charged with Mr Cancian’s murder on or about February 25. Both men have pleaded not guilty.

Mr Larsen said the woman, who he said he could not name, had been granted immunity from prosecution. The woman would say Carstairs had said that Sneller had hit Mr Cancian on the temple, and that the blow might have been a bit hard.

Mr Larsen said that other evidence the woman — who he described as the Crown’s key witness — would give, involved going with Sneller and Carstairs while they bought balaclavas to cover their faces before going to Mr Cancian’s home.

She would also say that Sneller and Carstairs had taken her son’s softball bat.

Mr Larsen said the case against Sneller and Carstairs was that they “were hired in effect to achieve retribution.” He said Mr Cancian had been involved in a property deal with Dennis John Williams, who was serving a

prison term on a narcotics charge, and a Duncan McFarlane. He said the Crown’s case was that there was a falling out between the three. “In the result, the accused Carstairs, who at the time was living in Christchurch, and the accused Sneller, who is a local, were hired in effect to achieve retribution,” Mr Larsen said.

“The Crown says that Carstairs and Sneller were given Mr Cancian’s address and were told that there was jewellery which was there which could be taken.” Mr Larsen said the two men were to be paid $5OO before and after the robbery. The trial, which continues today, is before Mr Justice Quiliiam and a jury.

Mr Larsen, with him Mr Ross Burns, appears for the Crown. Mr John Billington, with him Mr Chris Clark, appears for Sneller. Mr Michael Bungay, with him Mr Mike Antunovic, appears for Carstairs. Sneller' and Carstairs have also pleaded not guilty to a charge of armed robbery of Mr Cancian and Linda Serci of jewellery valued at about $16,240.

In evidence a Hamilton woman, publication of whose name was suppressed, said Carstairs and Sneller had been in Hamilton in late January. Sneller had stayed with her, and during the stay Carstairs and Sneller had at one stage used her garage.

The woman said she had seen the men in the garage sawing what appeared to be the barrel of a shotgun.

The woman said that as Sneller and Carstairs had prepared to leave Hamilton they had been talking about “getting rich in a hurry.”