Guilty verdict in Mellory Manning murder trial
The jury has rejected Mauha Huatahi Fawcett’s claim that he took no part in the gangland murder of Christchurch street sex worker Mellory Manning.
The jury returned its verdict – guilty of murder – after about five hours of deliberation in the High Court at Christchurch where Fawcett’s four-week trial has been taking place.
Justice David Gendall remanded the 26-year-old former Mongrel Mob gang prospect in custody for sentencing on May 1, 2014.
Fawcett stood looking downcast in the dock as the verdict was delivered, and he was then led away.
The trial had many of the witness’ names and sections of important evidence covered by suppression orders.
Fawcett represented himself with the help of a legal adviser appointed by the court – amicus curiae Craig Ruane.
The Crown case was that Fawcett was a Mongrel Mob gang prospect who was involved in “taxing” Manchester Street sex workers, and that 27-year-old Mellory Manning was taken to a gang pad in Galbraith Ave, Avonside, where she was beaten for either refusing to pay the tax or for drug debts.
She was beaten, strangled manually, and stabbed several times. According to the pathologist, the stabbings may have happened while she was lying on her back on a hard surface.
Witnesses told of hearing crinkling and a splash along the Avon River near where her body was dumped during the night of December 18-19, 2008. The Crown case was that her body had been wrapped in a tarpaulin to be transported to the river by car.
The defence was that witnesses had lied and Fawcett had become caught up in something that was way beyond his comprehension. He was the weakest link as a gang prospect, and had been dropped in something far more serious than he thought, Mr Ruane had told the court in his closing address.
Fawcett had not given evidence, and had called no evidence in his defence. He had rarely questioned witnesses himself during the trial, but Mr Ruane had conducted more detailed cross-examination for him.
The Crown case included a series of recorded statements that Fawcett made to the police, in which he made differing claims about his involvement.
Phil Shamy, Pip Currie, and Arpana Raj represented the Crown.
Category: News
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Connect
Connect with us via: