A man who fatally shot one of his neighbours in an isolated rural community north of Napier had earlier told a friend that he ``felt like pumping him full of lead''.
Wilson Apatu, 44, is on trial before Judge Forrest Miller in the High Court at Napier for the murder of Layden Rameka, 35, and the attempted murder of Mr Rameka's son Zepplen 8, in the isolated village of Waikoau, about 40km north of Napier on August 30 last year.
Apatu has pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary in relation to the taking of a couple's car after the shooting.
Crown prosecutor Jo Rielly told the court on the opening day of the trial on Monday that when Apatu smashed through a ranchslider of the house Mr Rameka and his family were staying in, carrying a 7.62mm rifle, Mr Rameka tried to defend himself, his wife and two sons by barricading a bedroom with a chest of drawers.
Apatu smashed down the door and shot Mr Rameka four times in quick succession. Zepplen was also wounded on the arm.
Those in the bedroom said the accused was smiling as he fired the rifle.
However defence counsel Russell Fairbrother said today Apatu had a mental illness which made him grimace when under stress --- ``which could be confused with an angry smile''.
Mr Rameka, his partner Janine West and three of their six children had moved to Waikoau from Auckland about two weeks before the fatal shooting.
Several prosecution witnesses confirmed that Apatu had become stressed by two of the couple's sons, who had teased him, thrown stones to annoy his dog and had stolen items from his house.
One resident, Bruce ``Buzz'' Lowe, said Apatu could not handle groups of people and at one time had lived for months in a primitive bush hut near Waikoau.
On the morning of the shooting, he had dropped off some dog food to Apatu who was ``jumbly'' in his speech and told him Mr Rameka had punched him. Apatu said someone was coming to ``trash'' Mr Rameka's place in 10 minutes and Mr Lowe said he assumed that meant Mongrel Mob members.
About 15 minutes later he heard three shots in quick succession and then a fourth a second or two later. When he ran out to the roadway he saw Apatu's car taking off at high speed.
Another resident, Morgan Wilson, said Apatu had called in to his house earlier that morning and said he was going to take some beers and talk to Mr Rameka about his sons' activities in the village.
Mr Wilson said Apatu rang him about half an hour later saying Mr Rameka had beaten him up. Apatu seemed agitated but not drunk. Later he got a second call from Apatu saying that he felt like ``pumping Rameka full of lead'', but Mr Wilson did not think that he would carry out his threat.
The defence is expected to open its case today.
Court told accused talked of pumping victim `full of lead'
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