Roxburgh man pleads guilty to shooting wife of 40 years

Two weeks after his wife of more than 40 years told him she was leaving him, a retired Roxburgh man shot her twice in the back, the summary of facts of the fatal shooting has revealed.

Warren Bruce Johnston (now 67) then turned the gun on himself. He later recovered in Dunedin Hospital.

• Couple widely respected in community

Johnston appeared at an arraignment in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday and pleaded guilty to murdering Lesley Ann Johnston (60), a parent educator at Roxburgh Health Camp, at their home in Roxburgh on March 11 last year.

He was due to stand trial on the murder charge next week.

Johnston, walking with the assistance of a stick, entered the dock at 9.15am.

He entered his plea and then sat down as his lawyer, Anne Stevens, sought from Justice Pamela Andrews an order for a pre-sentence report and a report on an assessment under the Criminal Procedures (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act on the type and length of sentence that should be imposed.

The summary of facts said the Johnstons' relationship broke down during Christmas 2009-New Year 2010, to the point where Mrs Johnston told her husband on February 28 last year she was leaving him.

About that time, Johnston became aware she was seeing another man.

Later that day, as Mrs Johnston was taking a motorised golf cart from the couple's garage, Johnston drove across the neighbour's lawn and into the driveway at speed, but at the last moment avoided a collision and crashed his vehicle into the concrete steps of the couple's Smith St house.

The incident was not reported to police, but was seen by neighbours.

The following day he was sent to Dunstan Hospital for treatment for injuries from the crash.

An X-ray revealed he had a lesion on his lung, which was confirmed at Dunedin Hospital on March 10 to be a malignant tumour.

He returned home that night against medical advice.

Mrs Johnston had moved out, but continued to go to the family home to cook Johnston dinner and pick up personal items.

While he was in hospital she noticed a considerable amount of her clothing had been removed.

On March 11, Johnston went to his son's house and told his daughter-in-law to tell her husband not to call on him that night, but wait until the next day.

He told her he was going to Alexandra to sort out matters.

He then went to the New Zealand Post Shop in Alexandra and cashed in $49,000 of Bonus Bonds, which he arranged to be paid into his son and daughter-in-law's bank account.

Shortly after 4.45pm, after Mrs Johnston arrived at the Smith St house from work, a neighbour heard raised voices and heard Mrs Johnston say words to the effect: "If you're going to shoot me, shoot me", followed by a shot.

Mrs Johnston ran out the front door, down the steps, yelling "No Warren no", or words to that effect.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, a second shot was heard. Mrs Johnston fell to the ground and did not move.

Several neighbours alerted by the shots had seen her fall and ran to her aid, but she was dead.

While they were helping her, a third shot was heard and Johnston was found lying in the lounge, with a .22 calibre rifle beside him.

It was believed he had taken the gun from his son's locked firearms cabinet that morning.

Johnston, who did not have a firearms licence, had a single gunshot wound to the chest near his heart. He was flown to Dunedin Hospital.

The first shot, which went through Mrs Johnston's heart, would have been fatal, the summary said, but still allowed her to speak and run some distance.

The second shot passed very close to the spinal cord, probably causing instant paralysis, and her body to drop to the ground.

Mrs Johnston is survived by her son, his wife and three grandchildren.

When police spoke to Johnston on March 17 last year, he made no comment and gave no explanations for his actions.

In court yesterday he was convicted and remanded in custody for sentencing on March 9.

Members of the Johnston family were present in court.

A person clapped as Johnston was led away to the cells.

Speaking on behalf of the families, Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw, of Alexandra, said the family was happy with yesterday's developments, and that they did not have to go through a trial, but did not want to comment further.

They had requested privacy.