Worrall murder trial begins; one guilty

Press, 26 February 1986, Page 21

Worrall murder trial begins; one guilty

PA Auckland One of three people accused of murdering a Takanini sharemilker, Bill Worrall, at his farm on September 15 has pleaded guilty to the charge in the High Court at Auckland. Brian Wayne Tomlin, aged 22, of Mangere, pleaded guilty at the start of the trial and was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Sinclair.

Mr Worrall’s wife, Kerry Vera Worrall, aged 36, and Shane Samuel O’Dell, aged 20, of Mangere, each pleaded not guilty to murdering William John Worrall.

In his opening address Mr Peter Kaye, prosecuting, said the shooting of Mr Worrall early on Sunday, September 15, was a joint enterprise by the three accused.

Mr Kaye said that in 1982 the Worralls and their two children moved to Longford Park Farm, Takanini, to go sharemilking.

For some time before September 15 Mrs Worrall was in the habit of taking her children to a Papa-

kura skating rink where she met Tomlin, a trainee assistant manager there.

At the same time Tomlin had a friend, O’Dell, and the two men lived in Mangere with two women.

Mr Kaye said that as Mrs Worrall got to know Tomlin more she confided In him the difficulties she was having in her marriage and she asked Tomlin if he would kill Mr Worrall for her.

Tomlin, said Mr Kaye, agreed and even asked her how she wanted it done. “She ventured the opinion that the quickest way was to use a gun.” Mr Kaye said Tomlin was to be paid $15,000 from the proceeds of Mr Worrall’s life insurance policies.

Mrs Worrall and Tomlin finally agreed on a date, said Mr Kaye. The jury would hear that in the meantime O’Dell had been told of the plan and that he would be the getaway driver.

On the night before the shooting Mrs Worrall went to. bed with her husband,

said Mr Kaye. The alarm went off as it always did at 5.30 a.m.

The Worralls* dog began to bark and Mr Worrall went to the window. He got dressed, took his double-barrel shotgun, telling his wife that somebody must be outside. Mr Kaye said Mrs Worrall told her husband to be careful.

. “So out he went into the yards of that farm where, of course, Mr Tomlin must have been.”

Mr Kaye said that the Crown evidence would be that Tomlin was lying in ambush flat on his stomach under a cattle race.

The Crown said that because of the noise the hammer of Tomlin’s shotgun made when it was moved into its firing position Mr Worrall fired his gun into the darkness. One piece of shot caught Tomlin in the side of his face. About the same time Tomlin fired at Mr Worrall and peppered his side with more than 102 pellets from his gun, said Mr Kaye. .

Mr Worrall hit the ground and Tomlin fired at him twice.

Mr Kaye said one shot caused a large wound in “ Mr Worrall’s arm and , entered his chest. The last " shot Tomlin fired was Y from pointblank range r and blew pff the top of Mr Worrall’s heart.