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A High Court jury today found three men guilty of the murder of Wanganui toddler Jhia Te Tua.
The two-year-old daughter of Black Power member Josh Te Tua died on May 5 last year after shots were fired at her parents' home in the Wanganui suburb of Gonville during what the Crown said was a gang-related drive-by shooting.
The jury found Hayden John Wallace, 27, Karl Unuka Check, 26, Ranji Tane Forbes, 21, all guilty of her murder.
Richard Anthony Puohotaua, 28, was found not guilty of her murder or manslaughter.
Luke John Check, 24, was found not guilty of being an accessory to murder after the fact.
All five had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The jury retired to deliberate at 6.15pm last night and returned with a verdict around 1pm.
During the last few days of the five-week trial in Wellington, two other defendants changed their pleas.
On Monday, Godfrey Muraahi pleaded guilty to manslaughter and taking part in an organised criminal group and yesterday Erueti Nahona pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter, taking part in an organised criminal group, and assault.
Police alleged Wallace fired the fatal shots, with two separate witness accounts describing seeing Wallace leaning out the window of the lead car in a convoy of three and firing into a group of Black Power associates outside the house.
Jhia was killed while she slept on the couch in her parents' lounge.
The little girl's mother moved her out of her bedroom amid concerns she was vulnerable to the escalating violence after a confrontation between the two gangs earlier in the day.
- NZPA
