An Auckland-based Iranian drug dealer who was robbed by a client in March last year murdered the client two days later with the help of two others, a High Court jury has been told.
Ahmad Matlobyaygazwini, 35, is on trial in Auckland along with Tuale Fuimaono and Ali Rafiee, both 28, for the murder of Bjorn Henderson on March 9, 2008.
Mr Henderson's body was dumped by a colleague outside Auckland Hospital's emergency department late on March 9, and pronounced dead early the next day.
Making her opening address, prosecutor Kirsten Lummis said Mr Henderson was a Hamilton resident who frequently travelled to Auckland and was a regular user of methamphetamine, or P.
She said he contacted Matlobyaygazwini early in March asking for an ounce of P and went to Matlobyaygazwini's Newmarket hotel apartment to wait for him.
Early on March 7, he and some associates stormed Matlobyaygazwini's room and used force to make off with methamphetamine and some cash.
On the afternoon of March 9, Mr Henderson came to be at an another Iranian man's Ellerslie house, not aware that Matlobyaygazwini was there.
Mr Henderson tried to escape when he saw Matlobyaygazwini, running across Ellerslie-Panmure Highway, but was caught and assaulted.
He received several injuries, including a blow on the back of the head which the crown says killed him.
Sosan Moqtabi, a colleague who brought Mr Henderson to the Ellerslie house, drove him away and tended to him briefly before heading into Auckland city much later that evening.
Two prostitutes he spoke to in the city saw Mr Henderson's body, then insisted Mr Moqtabi drive Mr Henderson to hospital, getting in a car to follow him to ensure he did.
Mr Moqtabi drove off as soon as he dumped Mr Henderson's body at Auckland Hospital but was able to be tracked down after a hospital staff member wrote his car registration down on her arm, eventually leading to the accused men.
The trial before a jury of six men and six women is before Justice Graham Lang.
