Fawcett says he lied about being involved in killing
Murder accused Mauha Huatahi Fawcett says pressure, threats, and promises made him tell lies to the police about the death of Christchurch sex worker Mellory Manning at the hands of the Mongrel Mob.
He made the comments at the end of the evidence of one of the police officers who interviewed him, Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald, after the High Court at Christchurch had watched a series of video interviews with Fawcett.
He put to the officer that he had known he was lying during the interviews. He said: “If I was telling the truth all those mobsters would have been arrested by now.”
Detective Inspector Fitzgerald replied: “No, that’s not the way it works.” He said there were times during the interviews when Fawcett was showing “different loyalties”.
Fawcett told the court: “I am sitting here because I took this whole operation for a ride through the pressure you put on me, and for the promises you offered me – the cash reward, the tattoo removal, safety from the Mongrel Mob. You kept pressuring me until I put myself in it, but it doesn’t add up.”
The officer replied: “You are entitled to your opinion but the facts of the case speak for themselves.”
Fawcett replied that the facts proved that he was not there and did not hurt Miss Manning.
He said the police had offered him “fake promises” – “I was compelled into this whole investigation.”
The police had threatened him. They said they could protect him, and cared about his safety because people wanted to kill him. “All these rewards started popping up,” he said.
He started telling stories because they used him as an informer. “It wasn’t me that hurt this lady. I didn’t take any part in it.”
Detective Inspector Fitzgerald said: “It’s a very easy statement to make, but the facts speak for themselves.”
An undercover policeman told of meeting Fawcett after he had been charged with the murder. He spoke to Fawcett who said he had earlier told the police that he did it, but he had “just told them what they wanted to hear”. He told the officer that one gang member had asked another member to “sort her out” but he “went overboard”.
Fawcett, 26, denies the murder of 27-year-old Mellory Manning in December 2008, when the Crown alleges she was taken from Manchester Street in Christchurch to a gang pad in Avonside where she was beaten, strangled, and stabbed to death, and her body was dumped in the Avon River. The Crown alleges she was killed over debts for drugs or non-payment of a “tax” on sex workers imposed by the Mongrel Mob.
Category: News
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