By RNZ
The jury has reached a unanimous verdict after a nearly three-month long murder trial for the death of Rau Tongia.
Shayde Weston, Breeze Hunt-Weston, Louise Kelly Hume and Pania Waaka all pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tongia, who the Crown allege was shot in the back while he slept at a house in Wellington’s Karori in December 2020.
Hunt-Weston also faced two other charges.
For Weston, the jury reached a verdict of guilty of murder.
The jury has found Hunt-Weston guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and of accessory after the fact to murder, but not guilty of murder.
It has found Waaka guilty on the charge of murder.
It has found Kelly Hume not guilty of either murder or manslaughter.
A fifth woman was also set to go on trial charged with murder but was excused due to health reasons. Her name is suppressed.
The trial was initially scheduled to begin on May 13 and was set down for eight weeks.
After two weeks of delays, the Crown kicked off its case on May 27, spearheaded by Crown Prosecutor Sally Carter.
The Crown alleged in the hours before Tongia’s death, he assaulted Weston and his death was a revenge killing.
The Crown said in the hours before Tongia’s death, Weston was with the fifth woman.
Witnesses reported seeing the two women and Tongia at a party, where Weston and the fifth woman were seen kissing.
Witnesses said she appeared to be trying to get a rise out of Tongia.
Tongia is then alleged to have assaulted Weston while she was sleeping alone in the woman’s bed.
Witnesses testified to seeing Weston with black eyes after the attack and reported a second confrontation then happening in the driveway of Tongia’s Percy Dyett Drive address.
Evidence was given that Weston’s sister Hunt-Weston and cousin Phoenix Colvin came to the address from Halswell Lodge to get her, along with another person.
There Hunt-Weston admitted to hitting Tongia in the head with a hammer.
She maintained it was in self-defence in response to Tongia attacking Weston again.
CCTV footage tracked Colvin’s car between Halswell Lodge and Percy Dyett Drive, then out to Onslow Rd - where the Crown alleges that the gun that was used was collected.
The Crown alleged Tongia was shot in the back while he slept shortly after 4.30am.
CCTV footage tracked Hunt-Weston’s car going from Halswell Lodge back to Karori shortly before 4.30am.
The Crown alleged Hunt-Weston had told Waaka to drive the car, and that a witness had seen a person, alleged to be Weston, with a shotgun by the side of Tongia’s house.
Google Maps data from Waaka’s phone placed it outside the address on Percy Dyett Drive around the same time.
The Crown believed Weston either pulled the trigger or assisted in the shooting, Waaka drove Weston to the address, Hunt-Weston lent them the car to get there, and Hume supplied the gun used.
Waaka has admitted to driving the car.
The Crown said the fifth woman was also believed to have been in a bedroom the night Tongia was shot while he slept.
