Jury retires in Phillip Field case

Activist Roger Tozer was this morning removed from former Labour cabinet minister Taito Phillip Field's trial in Auckland High Court. Photo / Dean Purcell

The jury deciding the fate of former MP Taito Phillip Field on bribery and perversion of justice charges have retired for the night.

The six-woman, four-man jury deciding the case at the High Court in Auckland retired for the night about 4.45pm, a little over four hours after Justice Rodney Hansen asked them to begin their deliberations.

They began considering their verdicts following more than 14 weeks of evidence and submissions.

Jurors would have begun earlier but for an interruption from Maori protesters about 11.30am.

Maori elder Tass Davis interrupted Justice Hansen, claiming he represented "rangatira of the land" and questioning the right of the court to decide on Field's fate.

Justice Hansen immediately called for an adjournment, and when he returned 45 minutes later he warned people in the public gallery they would be removed if they interrupted again.

One protester, Roger Tozer, then said the judge "will be removed from your office if you go against the tangata whenua". He was ordered out of the court.

The jury returned to the court once in the afternoon after having asked for a list of references made in the closing address of the defence. Justice Hansen said a list of references relating to both defence and crown closing addresses would be provided.

Jurors will return at 9.30am tomorrow to resume deliberations. They are not expected to be sitting at the weekend if they do not reach a verdict tomorrow.

- NZPA