Accused changes story about killing teacher

Mid-way through an interview with a detective a 17-year-old Opotiki girl charged with murdering retired teacher John Rowe changed her story that she acted alone.

The change came after a break in Courtney Churchward's videoed interview at Auckland more than two weeks after Mr Rowe's death.

After a break in her interview with Detective David McIntosh she told him there was something she wanted to say.

"I have been saying it was only me because I didn't think my associate should be held accountable for my actions but she was part of what I done ... she was involved with everything that took place, yeah," Churchward said. Later in the interview she said her co-accused had only hit Mr Rowe once.

Churchward and her 15-year-old co-accused have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Rowe at Opotiki on November 25 last year. The trial is before Justice Geoffrey Venning and a jury of six men and six women in the High Court at Rotorua.

In the videotaped interview played to the court Churchward said she and her co-accused had discussed "the old man".

"I suggested that I knock him up and we do a robbery."

When they couldn't find anything in his garage they considered robbing his neighbours but a light flicked on in that house so they began to move around the outside of Mr Rowe's home. Through a window they saw him come out of a toilet and go into his bedroom.

Churchward said she popped open a window and the pair climbed into the house. Both girls picked up sticks in the lounge.

In the bedroom they stood by the bed where she raised her stick, but hesitated. They returned to the lounge before returning to the bedroom.

"I stood there about two minutes just preparing myself then I just hit him. He tried to get up, I hit him again. He was still trying to get up. I hit him again and again."

She turned on the light and believed he was still alive.

Before they left the house they took a radio, wallet and car keys. She had intended to steal Mr Rowe's car but couldn't figure out how to start it.

There had been around $1000 in the wallet which the pair split between them. She went home and went to bed.

Questioned by Mr McIntosh, Churchward said before they left the house she attempted to call an ambulance but the phone was disconnected.

"I had wanted to rob him, that is why we went there. I wanted to knock him out and tie him up so I could look through his room ... I was expecting he would have cash or something valuable such as jewellery."

When she turned the light on she saw blood everywhere.

She said she had been holding the stick with two both hands "like a bat" and was aiming at his head.

"He was making noises - I told him to shut up."

Before the attack the pair had put on white surgical-type gloves they found in a box in Mr Rowe's lounge.

She told Mr McIntosh she spent her share of the stolen money on food, drugs, alcohol, clothes, a cellphone top-up card and a bus fare out of Opotiki.

When she left Opotiki about $300 remained but once in Auckland she spent it on drugs and alcohol. She gave $20 to a mate "for a feed for her kids".

Earlier in the interview she said she burned the clothing she had been wearing when she attacked Mr Rowe.

Asked why she'd left such as a big clue as the stolen radio behind, she said she just wanted to listen to some music.

(Proceeding).

- NZPA