KEY POINTS:
A nurse who lived in the Wanganui street where a toddler was murdered in a drive-by shooting, told the High Court at Wellington how she tried to resuscitate the child despite knowing she was already dead.
Two-year-old Jhia Harmony Te Tua died on May 5 last year after shots were fired at her parents' home in the Wanganui suburb of Gonville.
Seven men are on trial in Wellington High Court in relation to her death.
Hayden John Wallace, 27, Karl Unuka Check, 26, Ranji Tane Forbes, 21, Godfrey Thomas Muraahi, 27, Erueti Chase Nahona, 20, and Richard Anthony Puohotaua, 28, have been charged with the two-year-old's murder.
Luke John Check, 24, is charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Wendy Ross, a nurse who lived in Puriri St, Gonville, at the time of the shooting, told the court today she was home on the night of the shooting with her grandson.
She described hearing a "scuffle" earlier in the night and noticing people milling around outside Jhia's parents house.
After police were called things quietened down, she said.
Later, Mrs Ross heard multiple cars speeding "really fast" down the street.
She said she "froze for a moment" then heard three gunshots before the cars sped off.
The shots were very loud and close together, she said.
"It was like bang, bang, bang."
Mrs Ross heard screaming and, telling her grandson to stay inside, ran out to help.
She told the group running down the street with Jhia that she was a nurse.
They took Jhia into Mrs Ross' house where she carried out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation despite realising that "she (Jhia) was dead".
"I proceeded to do it because there's still a little bit of hope and someone was yelling at me to do it, so you just do what you have to do."
She stopped when paramedics and armed police arrived at her house.
Neighbour Tupoututeru McLeod also gave evidence in trial today.
She said she was at home watching a movie with her family when she heard the shots fired. At first she thought it was a car backfiring.
Mrs McLeod followed Jhia into Mrs Ross' house.
"She (Mrs Ross) kept on saying `she's gone, she's gone'.
"We were realising she was gone. There was nothing we could do."
Mrs McLeod stayed with Jhia's body for almost four hours until the undertaker arrived.
Two anonymous witnesses gave evidence today via a pixellated television screen.
They described cars coming and going in Puriri St before the shooting and hearing "bangs". Both initially thought the noise was a car backfiring.
- NZPA
