Man who shot cop took bravado from guns, court told

Neshanderan Rajgopaul in the dock at the Auckland High Court. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A man accused of shooting an Auckland police officer was emboldened by the guns he carried and fuelled by drugs, a jury was told today.

Neshanderan Rajgopaul, 29, is on trial in the High Court at Auckland for attempting to murder Constable Jeremy Snow in Papatoetoe in December 2009.

Mr Snow was shot four times when he and his partner stopped to check a car parked in the driveway of a house.

He was rescued by armed police as he came close to dying from blood loss.

Closing for the Crown, prosecutor Rachael Reed said Rajgopaul was the man who gunned down Constable Snow.

"Constable Snow was gunned down by a man who took his bravado from the guns he carried, fuelled by methamphetamine and his own ego," Ms Reed told the jury.

Constable Snow had testified that he was sure Rajgopaul shot him and another witness had also identified him, Ms Reed said.

Constable Snow kept his torchlight on Rajgopaul as he ran to the back corner of the garden, and they were only metres apart when the shots were fired.

"Rajgopaul turned and faced Constable Snow and in one movement he dropped to one knee, raised his hands and deliberately fired at him," Ms Reed told the jury.

She disputed Rajgopaul's evidence, that he had fallen to his left after being pushed to the ground.

"He knelt in the corner of the garden and fired again and again. Gunshot residue was found on his hands hours after the shooting," Ms Reed said.

Earlier, crown witness Gavin Lomas had told the jury he was afraid of Rajgopaul and gang retaliation, Ms Reed said.

Rajgopaul's account of what happened sewed together fact and fiction. His lies started when he was found by police and changed further when he was interviewed, Ms Reed said.

"He has told a series of more lies than reality. The accused's story has changed with every twist and turn of evidence.

"Rajgopaul shot Constable Snow that morning, but he just can't face up to what he's done," Ms Reed added.

She pointed out the only part of Rajgopaul's defence which has stayed consistent was his denial that he was the gunman.

"The rest is a series of lies designed to escape culpability," Ms Reed said.

Earlier today, a gun residue expert said he could not be sure whether Rajgopaul was the shooter.

Defence witness Sean Doyle, a consultant forensic scientist, examined three gunshot residue particles found on Rajgopaul's hand after the shooting, he told the jury today.

He said he could not be sure if Rajgopaul fired the weapon, or if he was just in close proximity when it was discharged.

He said both probabilities were equal, so he could not be sure whether or not Rajgopaul was the shooter.

Mr Doyle said thousands of gunshot residue particles would typically be left on the hand after firing a weapon, but these would rapidly be lost after shooting.

As well as the attempted murder charge, Rajgopaul faces one charge of firing a weapon with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, four of unlawfully possessing a firearm, and one charge each of possessing a class A drug for supply and receiving stolen property.

He also faces two charges of assault using a firearm as a weapon relating to incidents between September and December 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges before the jury of six men and six women.

Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield will give his closing address to the jury tomorrow.

The trial is into its fourth week.

- NZPA