Slain liquor store owner's widow shocked at only one murder verdict

Navtej Singh. Photo / Supplied

The widow of south Auckland liquor store owner Navtej Singh was shocked only one man was today found guilty of his murder in a 2008 armed robbery.

Only the man who fired the fatal shot, Anitelea Chan-Kee, 22, was found guilty of murder by a jury in the High Court at Auckland.

Five other accused - Myron Felise, 22, Tino Felise, 19, Eti Filoa, 25, Walter McCarthy, 19, and Jason Naseri, 21 - were found not guilty of both murder and manslaughter.

Mefiposeta Chan-Kee, 26, was discharged after being found not guilty of being an accessory after the killing.

Tino Felise, Filoa and McCarthy were all found guilty of one charge of aggravated robbery, while Anitelea Chan-Kee, Myron Felise and Naseri previously admitted aggravated robbery.

Sentencing will be at the High Court on April 23.

It was standing room only in the public gallery as around 50 people, Mr Singh's widow Harjinder Kaur among them, waited for the verdicts.

Speaking on behalf of the Singh family outside the court, close friend Daljit Singh said Mr Singh's widow was still in shock.

"We do respect the verdict given by the jury today and the law of New Zealand. But his wife is still in shock that the other five men who were charged with murder have been found not guilty of both murder and manslaughter. She's very upset by that, and we'll be keeping our eyes on the sentencing date," Mr Singh said.

He added that the trial made it difficult as the family had to re-live what happened.

Ron Mansfield, representing Myron Felise, said his client was still remorseful for his actions.

"Immediately after this incident he was shocked. He's expressed that quite clearly and that's come out in the end. He's a young man who got caught up in something way beyond what he thought," he said.

"He's very sad and upset about what eventuated and he remains so."

Graeme Newell, representing Jason Naseri, said his client was pleased with the not guilty verdicts.

"He never thought the firearm would be used in the way it was so, he's very relieved about the murder and manslaughter acquittal, that's all that could be expected," Mr Newell said.

The jury spent more than 18 hours deliberating. They began discussions about 2.35pm on Monday after Justice Graham Lang concluded his summary of the case in the month-long trial.

Justice Lang thanked the jury for their "sterling efforts" over the past five weeks.

"You've sat through some pretty harrowing evidence, and the fact that you've taken a lengthy time deliberating shows the care you've taken in reaching your verdicts," he said.

The trial followed the fatal shooting of Mr Singh during an armed robbery in his Riverton liquor store in Manurewa East in June 2008. Anitelea Chan-Kee, Myron Felise and Jason Naseri entered the store just after 9pm on June 7.

Felise and Naseri grabbed as much alcohol as they could carry back to their vehicle, while Chan-Kee held up Mr Singh and his business partner, Gurwinder Singh, with the .22 rifle, the Crown said.

By the time Felise and Naseri returned to the store, Navtej Singh had been shot in the abdomen. After the shooting the accused went back to a south Auckland house where they drank the alcohol, the Crown said.

Anitelea Chan-Kee admitted shooting Mr Singh but said he didn't know that the gun was loaded and accidentally pulled the trigger.

Counties Manukau police district commander Mike Bush would not comment on the outcome.

"It is inappropriate for police to provide commentary on judicial outcomes," he said.

"With regards to media queries around the sequence of events on the evening concerned, police cannot comment at this stage as these circumstances are subject of an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation - the results of which will be delivered by the IPCA."

Manukau City councillor Daniel Newman said one guilty verdict in the trial for the murder of Mr Singh would not bring closure to that case, or address the social cost of the availability of alcohol in Randwick Park.

"A family has been denied a husband, father and son. An entire community has been tarred by the entire sorry episode," said Mr Newman who represents the suburb where Mr Singh was shot.

"I am pleased the jury established guilt, and we hope that the convicted men all receive a sentence that adequately reflects the extent of their guilt," he said.

He said Randwick Park still suffered because of the sale of alcohol at Riverton Liquor.

"Mr Singh's death is a tragedy for which the entire community grieves. There is no excuse that can possibly justify the behaviour Anitelea Chan-Kee or his associates.

"But the store where Mr Singh was murdered is also an establishment that is strongly opposed by a large number of Randwick Park residents. That opposition has remained steadfast for as long as the store has been selling alcohol, because residents fear the wider social cost associated with small suburban liquor outlets trading in residential communities."

Mr Newman said alcohol purchased at the Riverton Drive outlet was consumed by young people who ended up drunk in local parks, who brawled in the streets and in people's front yards, and who ended up committing violent acts against innocent residents."

- NZPA