Accused murderer Patricia Erica Paton had a "huge egg" on her
forehead and a split lip when she hitchhiked from Gisborne to
Opotiki on the night her partner died from a stab wound.
The injuries on Paton on the night in question, as well as
historical domestic violence towards her, were outlined to
the jury on the second day of her trial in the High Court at
Gisborne.
The 30-year-old is charged with the murder of her partner
Lawrence Teepa-Moon - a 33-year-old forestry worker.
Mr Teepa-Moon died on February 14 from a single stab wound to
his neck.
Witness Chris Woods said he was driving his truck back to
Tauranga when a woman jumped out on to the road and waved him
down on State Highway 2.
It was very early on February 15. He assumed there had been a
car accident and stopped his truck.
The woman opened his passenger door and said she wanted a
ride to Opotiki.
Mr Woods noticed she had a "huge egg" on her forehead and a
split lip.
She was barefooted, dressed in track pants, a singlet and
carrying only her cellphone.
When he asked what had happened she said she had been "beaten
up" by her man.
Paton told him there had been a party at their home and she
and her partner fought. She claimed he gave her a hiding then
stabbed himself in the neck, Mr Woods said.
She told Mr Woods she had been beaten with a vacuum pipe and
that Mr Teepa-Moon had grabbed a knife from the block on the
kitchen bench and pushed it into his neck.
"At some stage in Waioeka Gorge she said, 'When I stabbed',
then corrected herself to say, 'When he stabbed'," said Mr
Woods.
At about 3.30am he dropped her off at her cousin's house in
Opotiki.
"Thinking there was something quite bizarre with the
passenger I'd just had from Gisborne, I stopped down the road
and called the police."
The trial is expected to last all week.
- Gisborne Herald
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