Jury in mall carpark murder trial retires

A High Court jury has retired to consider its verdict in the murder trial a driver who fatally struck Manukau businesswoman Joanne Wang as he was trying to get away with her handbag.

Christopher Shadrock, 23, has been on trial at the High Court in Auckland accused of murdering Mrs Wang, who died the day after being struck by a stolen white four-wheel-drive driven by Shadrock in June 2008.

The Crown alleges Shadrock, having snatched the handbag, tried to back away from a chasing Mrs Wang but then chose to drive forward into her when his path behind was blocked. She died the next day from a head injury.

Shadrock's lawyers say he is guilty of manslaughter and not murder. He said Shadrock had no intention of injuring Mrs Wang, that he was driving at no more than 25km/h when he hit Mrs Wang, and said she was on the passenger's side of the car rather than in front when he fell.

The jury will also decide the fate of five other people - Maka Tuikolovatu, 21, Lionel Tekanawa, 23, Vila Lemanu, 25, Mateni Lynch, 20, and Terence Tere, 22 - who all face charges of being an accessory after the fact to murder by trying to help Shadrock avoid apprehension.

Tuikolovatu is alleged to have hidden Mrs Wang's handbag, while the other four are alleged to have set the four-wheel drive ablaze two days after the incident.

Shadrock, Tuikolovatu, Tekanawa and Lemanu also face a charge of the theft of Mrs Wang's handbag.

Tuikolovatu, Tekanawa and Lemanu were alleged to have been in a green car following Shadrock at the time he took Mrs Wang's carpark. The Crown says they were in on a plan to snatch a bag.

- NZPA