Accused shooter 'pushed to ground by real gunman'

Neshanderan Rajgopaul in the dock at the Auckland High Court. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A man who has denied shooting a police officer told the High Court at Auckland today he was pushed to the ground by the gunman before the shots were fired.

Neshanderan Rajgopaul, 29, was giving evidence in his own defence on a charge of attempting to murder Constable Jeremy Snow in Papatoetoe in December, 2009.

Mr Snow was shot four times when he and his partner stopped to check a car parked in the driveway of house.

He was rescued by armed police as he came close to dying from blood loss.

Rajgopaul yesterday admitted being a firearms and drugs dealer but denied ever firing a gun at another human being.

He said that his friend Darrin Court had been with him on the night of the shooting and he had earlier seen him with a rifle.

In cross-examination today Crown prosecutor Rachael Reed asked Rajgopaul what happened when Constable Snow shone a torchlight on him and told him to come out of the bushes.

"I walked towards him and then I was pushed which is why I ended up on my hands and knees on the floor," Rajgopaul said.

Earlier today, Ms Reed suggested to Rajgopaul he was making up a story about what happened that night just as he did in a police interview.

Rajgopaul agreed he lied in his police interview to protect Mr Court

"I was still in a lot of shock and had to consider a lot of things," he said.

As well as the attempted murder charge, Rajgopaul faces one charge of firing a weapon with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, four of unlawfully possessing a firearm, and one charge each of possessing a class A drug for supply and receiving stolen property.

He also faces two charges of assault using a firearm as a weapon relating to incidents between September and December 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges before the jury of six men and six women.

The trial is into its fourth week.

- NZPA