The trial of five Murupara men accused of murdering Kaingaroa teenager Kaine Lewis has started in the High Court at Rotorua.
The men, who are associated with the Mongrel Mob, Neville Duff, 33, Joshua-Lesley Whitu, 18, David Te Wharerangi Rewi, 25, Jurome Takere Rutene and Hemi Winitana, both 19, are on trial before Justice John Priestley after each pleading not guilty to murdering the 17-year-old on October 3, 2009, and participating in an organised criminal group.
A sixth man, Norton Taoho, 19, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the murder, and another man, Jarrod Tumoana Rewi, 19, pleaded guilty to participating in an organised criminal group and was discharged on the murder charge.
Opening the case, Rotorua Crown Solicitor Fletcher Pilditch told the jury a gang fight broke out in Murupara's Tawa St between Mongrel Mob and Tribesmen associates early on October 3, 2009 following earlier "tit for tat'' incidents between the two rival groups.
Mr Lewis died following the gang fight from two fatal blows to his head which split his scalp, fracturing his skull and causing his brain to swell rapidly. He died in Rotorua Hospital a short time later.
Mr Pilditch said while it may never be known who inflicted the fatal blows, all five accused were responsible for his death.
"While they all acted and were involved in different ways the Crown alleges their collective involvement led to the death of Kaine Lewis.''
A group of people associated with the Tribesmen gang and wearing yellow were at a party at one end of Tawa St and Mr Lewis was there. Another group including Duff, Whitu, Rewi, Rutene and Winitana were at another property further down the road, Mr Pilditch said.
There was a confrontation between the gangs at a party earlier in the night which saw the Tribesmen smashing the windscreen of a car that Rewi, Winitana and Rutene were in.
Rewi, Winitana and Rutene drove to Galatea to try to find guns to use to confront the group but returned without any.
Armed with weapons including pieces of wood, metal poles and a knife, the group of Mongrel Mob associates went back to the property where the Tribesmen were. Taoho was driving forward and revving a white truck in the driveway. Nothing happened and the Mongrel Mob associates went back down to the other property.
Some of the group associated with the Tribesmen gang including Mr Lewis headed towards the property where the Mongrel Mob associates were, smashing a fence to get pieces of wood to take with them.
The accused men were prepared, arming themselves with pieces of wood, bits of metal and at least one person had a knife.
"There appeared to be something of a standoff. The white truck suddenly came out and drove at the group [of Tribesmen], drove straight for them. The people scattered,'' Mr Pilditch said.
Mr Lewis became separated and was seen being beaten by Taoho, Winitana and Whitu.
Duff was fighting with the man who had earlier smashed the windscreen of the truck while Rutene was chasing other members of the Tribesmen gang. David Rewi was the driver of the truck which had become stuck.
The trial is expected to continue for at least three weeks.
- Daily Post
