Shooting accused admits lying to protect friend

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

A man who has denied shooting a police officer today admitted in the High Court at Auckland he lied in an interview to protect the gunman.

Neshanderan Rajgopaul, 29, was giving evidence in his own defence on a charge of 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 in the driveway of a house they believed was being broken into.

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

Rajgopaul yesterday admitted being a firearms and drugs dealer but denied ever firing a gun at another human being.

He said that his friend Darrin Court had been with him on the night of the shooting and he had earlier seen him with a rifle.

In cross-examination today Crown prosecutor Rachael Reed suggested to Rajgopaul he was making up a story just like he did in a police interview.

Rajgopaul agreed he lied in his police interview to protect Mr Court

"I was still in a lot of shock and had to consider a lot of things," he said.

The trial is continuing.

- NZPA