Witness in Northland murder trial man saw a man fall out of a accused gang member's car

Rawden Yates, aka Big Boy, appearing on murder charges in the High Court at Whangarei. Photo/John Stone

A Northland man thought it "unusual" to see a man falling from a car on to the road while the vehicle belonging to a gang member was being fixed.

Hugh Pepper gave evidence yesterday in the High Court at Whangārei where the trial of Rawden "Big Boy" Yates, on one charge of murder, is under way.

Yates is accused of killing Kimble Moore, 48, a patched member of the Tribesmen gang from Waipapakauri in the Far North, in March 2016. Yates is also a Tribesman.

Moore was reported missing from Taipa by his partner and his body was found buried in a shallow grave six months later in the Fairburn area. He was shot twice in the back and once in the side.

Yates and Moore went for a car ride on the morning of March 17, 2016, and that was the last time the latter was seen by his partner.

In court yesterday, Pepper said he provided a jumper lead for Yates to start his car one early morning around that time.

Yates appeared agitated and tried to "get going" as quickly as possible, he said.

Once his car started, Pepper said he reversed his vehicle to drive away and saw a man fall out of the passenger's door of Yate's car and on to the road.

The man who fell out wore red gumboots and looked like he was drunk, he said.

Pepper said Yates got out of the car, ran around the back and gave the fallen man a bit of a "boof" or a rough shake-up and put him back inside.

"I thought the boof was unusual when you're trying to help a mate. He was lying on the road. He wasn't trying to do anything," he told the jury.

Pepper said he told the person with him in his vehicle: "S*** let's get out of here. This doesn't look right. I said to him 'get the rego and warrant' so he punched them into his phone."

Under cross examination by Ken Bailey, who is assisting lead defence lawyer Nick Leader, Pepper said there was no suggestion the driver opened the door before the man fell out.
He said the man who fell out could have opened the door.

The trial before Justice Mathew Downs will continue on Monday.Earlier, Moore's partner Shinella Simeon told the jury she unsuccessfully tried to stop him from going for a car ride with Yates as she did not trust the accused.