KEY POINTS:
The man charged with murdering Hawke's Bay farmer Jack Nicholas will stand trial for the killing.
The judge in Murray Foreman's depositions hearing gave his decision this morning following a two-week hearing at the Napier District Court.
Foreman will stand trial on the murder charge and a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He has pleaded not guilty.
Mr Nicholas was shot dead on his Puketitiri property in 2004.
The Crown alleges Foreman had a run-in with Mr Nicholas more than 20 years ago as he was denied access to his farm.
Witnesses at the hearing described him as being "white and clammy" on the day of the shooting and alleged he told them "he might have shot somebody", the court was told.
During the depositions hearing, Mr Nicholas' widow described finding him shot dead in the gateway of their rural property.
Agnes Nicholas said she heard three gunshots about 6.30am on August 27, 2004.
Foreman, an employee of the Ravensdown Fertiliser works, on the Napier outskirts, was first spoken to by police in the days after the killing as investigators were checking those who held hunting permits for the nearby Kaweka Ranges.
At one stage he allegedly told police he was at work at the time of the killing, but checks with the company showed he was on leave.
He allegedly initially told police more than once that he did not own any firearms, and was at home on the morning - and the evening before - the August 27 killing.
It was later revealed he owned a number of weapons.
Foreman faces a charge of perverting the course of justice after allegedly telling his "on again, off again" partner to say he was with her at the time of the killing.
Judge David McKegg today remanded him on bail to reappear in a month.
- NEWSTALK ZB, NZHERALD STAFF
