Farm worker guilty of murder

A Northland farm worker was found guilty of murder in the High Court at Whangarei yesterday.

Craig Ross, 31, was found guilty by a jury of murdering 53-year-old farmer Robert Green at his home near Kaikohe on August 12 last year.

Ross, who worked on Mr Green's farm, took a single-barrel shotgun and shot him at close range in the back of the head while he was sitting in his lounge eating dinner.

A plate of food was resting on Mr Green's lap and he was still clutching a knife and fork when his body was found.

The defence argued it was a case of manslaughter, not murder, because Ross had been provoked by years of unwelcome sexual advances. The last straw had come on August 12 when Mr Green climbed into Ross' bed and sexually assaulted him.

Justice Nicholson remanded Ross in custody to be sentenced on October 7.

Prior to the trial, Ross had pleaded guilty to other charges arising from the case.

Those charges were commission of a crime with a firearm, abduction of a woman and six charges of rape.

He will also be sentenced on those charges on October 7.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)