Man lured to death after drug theft, court told

A man was "lured" to an Auckland house, trapped and then beaten to death by men he had allegedly stolen a large quantity of methamphetamine and money from, a court has heard.

Ahmad Matlobyaygazwini, 35, Tuale Joe Fuimaono, 28 and Ali Rafiee, 28, are accused of murdering Hamilton man Bjorn Justin Henderson, 28, on March 9 2008.

Mr Henderson's body was dumped at Auckland Hospital's accident and emergency department, already dead from serious head injuries, just after midnight on March 10, 2008.

Crown prosecutor Kristin Lummis, in her opening address, said all three accused were responsible for Mr Henderson's death and were guilty of the crime of murder.

Ms Lummis said Matlobyaygazwini was a dealer of methamphetamine and Mr Henderson was a drug user.

"His involvement with drugs set the scene for his murder. The catalyst or event occurred several days prior to his death."

She said Mr Henderson wanted to buy half an ounce of methamphetamine from Matlobyaygazwini - but was also planning to rip him off.

On Thursday March 6 he used force to enter Matlobyaygazwini's Newmarket motel and took "a significant amount of methamphetamine and money".

Ms Lummis said the robbery left him "furious" and he called Mr Henderson, warning him he wouldn't be able to hide in Hamilton because it wasn't a big place.

Late in the afternoon of March 9, the Crown says Mr Henderson was "lured" to a house on the Ellerslie Panmure Highway where Matlobyaygazwini and several others were waiting.

Ms Lummis said Matlobyaygazwini's plan was to exact revenge for the rip off and recruited several associates, including Fuimaono and Rafiee, to assist him.

The court heard Mr Henderson was trapped at the house when Fuimaono drove in behind him, blocking him between the car and a concrete wall. When he tried to run away but was caught and assaulted, suffering several heavy blows. One, to the back of his head, led to bleeding on the brain.

After the beating he was left badly injured on a driveway. He was picked up and taken home by an associate who tried to tend to his wounds.

Much later in the day he was driven to Auckland Hospital and abandoned there. By that stage medical staff said there was nothing that could be done to save him and he died.

The trial has been set down for four weeks.