DVD of police interview played to jury during murder trial in Rotorua

Zen Pulemoana, 27 (left) and Mikaere James Hura, 21 on trial for the murders of Raymond and James Fleet. Photo / File

When he saw Raymond and James Fleets' bodies, their faces were so badly beaten and bloodied he was unable to tell who they were, one of those accused of their murders told a detective.

A DVD of the interview Detective Patrick Whitiora conducted with Mikaere James Hura, 21, is being played to the jury trying him in the High Court at Rotorua.

Hura said he subsequently learnt of their identities from Facebook.

He is on trial with Zen Pulemoana, 27, charged with murdering the Fleets at Mamaku on August 7 last year. They are jointly charged with Martin Hone who has admitted the charges.

In the DVD interview recorded on October 3, 2017 Hura said he received a call about 7pm on August 7 that there was a truck struck in Cecil Rd at Mamaku. A short while later he was picked up by people he declined to name and taken to the area.

He claimed to the detective he was told if he didn't co-operate he would be next.

He was taken to Cecil Rd in Mamaku where he discovered no stuck truck but two bodies lying on the road near the entrance to bush.

Raymond Fleet (left) and James Fleet. Photo / File

"They were so badly beaten up I didn't know who they were until I later discovered on Facebook they were Raymond and James Fleet," Hura told the detective.

He described their faces as bloodied, going on to say he was ordered to move the bodies deeper into the bush. He admitted leaving the two men between 20 and 30m apart but hadn't attempted to conceal them.

Hura denied he had been in Mamaku in the week preceding the murders but told the detective he had heard on the grapevine methamphetamine was being manufactured there and some had gone missing.

He understood it was Raymond Fleet and his son Darius involved in the manufacturing but that James Fleet had nothing to do with cooking the drug.

Asked why he thought James Fleet had been killed Hura responded it was because he'd let slip about the cook up and the word had spread.

Asked by the detective why Darius Fleet hadn't been killed, Hura said he wasn't too sure and didn't know if threats had been made to his life.

Asked if he'd got blood on him when he moved the bodies, he responded he didn't think so.

Hura denied involvement in any local gangs.

As well as the murder charges, Hura has pleaded not guilty to three methamphetamine-related charges.

A fourth man, Richard Te Kani, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges relating to both Raymond and James Fleet and been convicted.

The DVD will continue to be played this afternoon.