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Vol 47, No 10
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Pakuranga murder trial begins T
he trial of the man accused of killing young Pakuranga mother Chozyn Koroheke is underway in the High Court at Auckland. Turiarangi Tai is accused of shooting Ms Koroheke once in the abdomen at close range with a 12 gauge double-barrelled shotgun at a house on Pakuranga Rd on April 4 last year. Ms Koroheke died from her injuries in the back of an ambulance later that night. On Monday, the Crown presented its opening statement to the court. Crown prosecutor Mark Williams told the court Tai’s actions showed intent – no matter how briefly. “Mr Tai knew what he wanted to do. He loaded the firearm, disengaged the safety catch and he delib-
erately pulled the trigger with the clear intention to kill her or, at the very least, injure her.” Mr Williams said the relationship between Tai and Ms Koroheke was short, but “characterised by violence.” “That violence manifested itself with fatal consequences.” He told the court Tai’s attitude towards Ms Koroheke “was one of control and suspicion. Chozyn had told friends that Tai had threatened to shoot her – and on one occasion, had pointed a gun at her.” The Crown alleges Tai also stabbed Ms Koroheke in the thigh with a knife on one occasion. “It was a relationship characterised by frequent violence and controlling behaviour at the hands of Tai.” Defence lawyer for Tai, Peter
Simeon Brown MP for Pakuranga
Kaye urged the jury to put their emotions aside and judge the case dispassionately. “We all know we’re here because a 22-year-old young woman has died. We can never bring her back….equally, another 22-year-old in Mr Tai...is charged with the most serious criminal offence that our criminal law knows – murder. “Quite a sobering thought at the age of 22 for both of them isn’t it?” He asked the jurors to look at the word murder in documents as a “two sided mirror”, and also see the word manslaughter. “There’s no argument about the issue or whether it caused death. You cannot find him not guilty. It’s either guilty of murder or manslaughter,” said Mr Kaye. One witness, who described her friendship with Ms Koroheke
as “very close” and “like sisters” said the relationship between the defendant and victim was “a bit rocky, but it was clear they loved each other”. Samantha Douglas, who was in a relationship with Koroheke’s brother and lived with Tai and Koroheke at the address on Pakuranga Road, said the pair argued frequently – and it got worse in the week leading up to the victim’s death. Douglas told the court the relationship between the two “got bad quick” and said she had taken Koroheke to hospital on two occasions – the first time because Tai had “smacked her [in the head] with a rock” which she estimated to be around 10cm in diameter. She said the day of the incident had been quieter than usual
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because Tai had been ignoring the victim. That afternoon, Tai had brought a double-barrelled shotgun into the house and was “showing it off,” the court heard. Ms Douglas was unimpressed and left the room, asking Koroheke on her way out “Where the hell did that come from?”, to which Koroheke allegedly responded “I don’t know but wherever it’s from, it’s so stupid.” The victim and defendant allegedly argued later that day when Tai asked Koroheke for petrol money and she refused, saying: “he hasn’t talked to me all day, why should I help him?” Douglas told the court she had witnessed Tai packing up his car, a white Toyota Celica, with his belongings and Ms Koroheke’s hair ➤ Turn to Page 9 straighteners.
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By KELLY TEED