Witness vows her ex was the killer

The main witness in a murder trial yesterday denied that she was the real killer.

Suwapa Kampan, aged 37, was giving evidence in the High Court at Auckland against her former partner, Grant Elliott Wills.

Wills, 57, is accused of bludgeoning Ms Kampan and her new partner, Somwes Suksabai, 29, with a stone pestle at the Henderson house they all shared in March last year.

He denies murdering Mr Suksabai and attempting to murder Ms Kampan or wounding her with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm as the pair lay in bed.

In cross-examination yesterday, Wills' lawyer, Peter Winter, repeatedly accused Ms Kampan of being the real murderer. He said she had an argument with Mr Suksabai and hit him many times with the pestle.

Mr Winter suggested her injuries were caused when Mr Suksabai fought back.

Ms Kampan repeatedly denied there had been any argument or that she attacked her new partner.

"Somwes was the one I wanted to spend my whole life with," she said. "I loved him very much."

She said she was in bed when she felt a blow to the head, which knocked her unconscious.

Ms Kampan also denied Mr Winter's allegation that after she attacked her partner she said to Wills: "Why didn't you help me? You were in the next room."

She said: "My question was, 'why did you do this to me?"'

Wills allegedly replied: "I don't know. I have been stupid."

She said that when she came to, Wills was standing staring at her. She thought she was going to be killed.

She denied a claim that Wills asked several times to phone for an ambulance and that she disconnected the phone.

She denied saying, "I didn't hit him hard. He will be okay." She said those were Wills' words.

Ms Kampan said she followed Wills' instructions and cleaned up the blood, but Mr Winter said she was the one giving the orders.

She told the court that when Wills left the house to take the children to the bakery to get their school lunch, she could not get a line on her phone or find her mobile so as to call the police.

The trial continues today.