Trial of man accused of killing security guard begins

The scene where Charanpreet Dhaliwal died. Photo / Doug Sherring

The trial of a man accused of killing a security guard on the first day of his job has begun in the High Court at Auckland today.

The 28-year-old, who has name suppression, is charged with murdering Charanpreet Dhaliwal almost two years ago.

Mr Dhaliwal was on his first shift as a security guard when he was attacked on November 18, 2011.

Today the accused pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, and a second charge of assaulting a nightclub doorman on the same date.

The Crown alleges the man, accompanied by others, punched a doorman at a club in Henderson, in the early hours of the morning.

A short time later, after being confronted by Mr Dhaliwal, he violently hit him with an object, which killed him, according to the Crown.

Mr Dhaliwal was guarding a FultonHogan construction site at the time of the attack.

A jury of three men and nine women has been selected in Auckland High Court this morning.

The trial is expected to run for three weeks.