Manslaughter plea ends Rangiora murder trial
A 39-year-old Rakaia man has halted a High Court murder trial by admitting the manslaughter of a Rangiora man during what the Crown says was a drugs robbery gone wrong.
Jason William Baker – the 42-year-old who wielded the knife in the September 13, 2013 stabbing – is already serving a life sentence for murder.
Now Shaun Murray Robert Innes has admitted that on September 13, 2013, at Rangiora he killed Tony John Lochhead by an unlawful act, “and thereby committed manslaughter”.
Justice Cameron Mander accepted the plea and discharged Innes on the charge of murder – effectively an alternative – and the charge of wounding Mr Lochhead’s brother Peter Graham Lochhead with intent to commit aggravated robbery.
Crown prosecutor Anselm Williams said the Crown intended to present no evidence on the aggravated wounding charge in view of the guilty plea to manslaughter.
Justice Mander thanked the jury panel for attending, though they would not be required for a trial, and told them the agreement on the manslaughter charge had only been reached over the weekend.
The Crown did not oppose Innes continuing on electronically monitored bail, and defence counsel Jonathan Eaton QC asked for it to continue because Innes had been making “considerable progress” during his time on remand.
Innes was convicted of murder at the first trial in 2014 but a retrial had been ordered after an appeal against the convction.
Justice Mander granted continuation of electronic bail and remanded Innes for sentencing on June 3 but warned that it was not an indication of the sentence that would be imposed.
Innes had already served a significant jail term before the retrial was ordered, Mr Eaton explained.
At the first trial, the Crown alleged that Baker and Innes intended to rob the Lochhead brothers of drugs, guns and cash when they went to their house in White Street, Rangiora, about 9pm.
They had known the Lochheads, who they said were low-level drug dealers, but there had been a falling out over a debt that Baker owed and was no longer welcome there. On the day of the incident, Baker had taken morphine and Ritalin.
The Crown alleged Innes went to the door and tried to lure the Lochheads outside into the driveway where they found that Baker was hiding in the bushes beside the house. He had a hunting knife. The Lochheads retreated to the house, with Baker allegedly saying: “I’m going to stab you all over. I’m going to put holes all over both of yous.”
There was a fight at the doorway with Baker trying to force his way in. Peter Lochhead was stabbed several times in the chest, arms, and face, and Tony Lochhead received a neck wound which led to his collapse as he tried to call the police.
The Crown called evidence from 37 witnesses at the first trial. Baker was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole term of 17 years.
Category: News
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