Faalili Moleli Fauatea, 23, died soon after he and three others smashed their way into the family home of Orren Scott Williams about 3.30am on June 6, last year. Video / Dean Taylor
A man defending serious charges after the violent break-in of his home, has admitted selling "pounds" of cannabis from his family property, but not his house.
In the afternoon session in the High Court at Hamilton today, crown prosecutor Jacinda Hamilton began questioning Orren Scott Williams around how much cannabis he'd sold, and where from, as he sat in the dock.
When asked if he was dealing drugs from home, he replied "I don't."
Hamilton put it to him that he had been selling cannabis in large amounts, which he accepted.
Those large amounts were "pounds", or what he'd dubbed "elbows", which he also accepted, but added they weren't for him.
In their opening to the jury last week, the crown alleged that Williams knew the four burglars, two of whom were armed, were there to steal two large rubbish bags of cannabis.
After a scuffle inside the house, then men ended up leaving and were shot by Williams, one fatally.
In court today, after initially disputing he sold "pounds" of cannabis in "multiple quantities" he accepted that he would sell "two or three" pounds at a time.
Text communications with a friend showed he would sell him three pounds "at a push" for $9600.
The car the four men were travelling in when they left Orren Williams' property was riddled with bullets. Photo / Dean Taylor
Hamilton again put to him that the sales took place at the family home; "I try not to", he replied.
Williams continued to deny that, before accepting that sales would take place on the family "property" - on the driveway or down the road.
"I will admit down the driveway at a push," he told Hamilton and then denied that he was trying to mislead the jury with his answers.
Hamilton put to Williams that by selling cannabis, including large quantities, from the family property, came with risks to himself and his family. He responded: "I suppose so, yes."
"And as somebody dealing with that drug you take some steps to protect yourself," she asked him. "I suppose so," he replied.
While he accepted two large rubbish bags of cannabis would indicate sales of cannabis by the pound, he denied having them in his back room as testified by family friend Emma Salvation last week.
"There were two large bags [of cannabis]", Hamilton put to him.
Orren Scott Williams admits he sold large quantities of cannabis but said the drugs weren't his. Photo / Belinda Feek
"Because the two large bags of cannabis weren't there when searched the next day."
"No," he said.
Hamilton questioned Williams that while he told police he thought the men were there to burgle him, "the last thing" on his mind was that they were there to steal his cannabis.
"Not for 10 ounces anyway," he said.
Hamilton reminded him that he dealt in pounds and they likely expected it to be there.
"From what they were told there was cannabis there, two black bags I'm told," Williams said.
During the morning session in questioning with his lawyer Philip Morgan, QC, Williams said he first fired after seeing a silhouette of a man who appeared to be holding something a few metres away from him when he was outside.
Thinking he had compromised himself, he stepped back towards the man and fired a shot.
"It was now or never. I [thought] I have been compromised and they knew I'm there ... I stepped back out to the right and raised my firearm and pulled the trigger."
Feeling as though he was "committed", "I just kept pulling the trigger."
Police cordon off the driveway to Orren Williams' home near Hauturu early on June 6 last year. Photo / Dean Taylor
In the distance, he could see some legs in front of the car's headlights.
"I just pointed my gun towards it and shot at it."
He ran out of bullets and, still unsure of what was going on, he ran back to the garage to get more bullets, worried that he had "pissed these guys off and they will be coming back to sort myself out".
Williams will continue to give evidence on Wednesday.
