Ashburton Work and Income shooting accused: What am I actually doing here?

Russell John Tully at the High Court in Christchurch. Photo / Dean Kozanic

The jury in the Ashburton Work and Income double-murder trial has been urged by a judge to ignore the alleged masked shooter's angry outburst in court today.

Russell John Tully, 49, made his first appearance at the High Court in Christchurch this morning on day two of his high-profile murder trial.

But as the Crown announced its first witness, Tully said: "Excuse me your honour, what am I actually doing here?"

Tully, restrained in a wheelchair, said he needed to "lie down" and claimed he was not fit to stand trial.

Justice Cameron Mander repeatedly asked him to be quiet before instructing Corrections prison wardens to remove Tully from the courtroom.

"Go and lie down," a woman in the public gallery told Tully as he was being wheeled away.

Justice Mander then directed the jury to ignore the "pantomime".

He instructed the jury to simply concentrate on the evidence.

Tully denies two charges of murdering Work and Income employees Peggy Turuhira Noble, 67, and Susan Leigh Cleveland, 55, and attempting to murder Lindy Louise Curtis and Kim Elizabeth Adams. He also denies other charges that include two counts of unlawful possession of firearms, and one of setting a mantrap.

The jury was yesterday shown graphic footage of a masked gunman on a 61-second killing rampage inside the Winz building.

The Crown says it has "overwhelming" evidence that the gunman is Tully.

It alleges that Tully, who had been a Winz client for the previous few months, had become so dissatisfied with his treatment that he wanted to kill all of the staff that day.

Ashburton Winz assistant manager Jaimee Sarah Carrodus first met Tully in July 2014 where he allegedly told her that he had "some sort of skin-eating disorder".

She claimed that Tully became "very demanding and very manipulative" and "quietly intimidating" to staff who tried to help him with his accommodation and food allowances.

Ms Carrodus explained how she trespassed Tully from the Cass St premises after he refused to leave - just weeks before the deadly shooting spree he's accused of carrying out.

Work and Income's Canterbury regional director Shane Carter said many groups and organisations had tried to help Tully.

Tully reportedly told him that he'd "come back to Ashburton to die" in mid-2014 and that he wanted a state house, but there were none available.

Ashburton bike shop owner Paul James Wylie estimated Tully had been in his shop on four occasions, and carried out repairs on his mountain bike.

On the morning of the shooting, he said he'd seen Tully biking towards the town centre shortly after 8am.

He was riding a black mountain bike, with a backpack on, and what he thought was a balaclava rolled up onto his head which also had a black BMX-style helmet.

The trial continues tomorrow at 10am.