The lawyer for a man accused of double murder has pointed blame at the other man there on the night of the killings.
By Finn Blackwell of RNZ
Lok Fung Lorrence Li is on trial in the High Court at Auckland. He is accused of murdering Fuk-Fu Joseph Kwok and his wife Mei Han Chong, which he denies.
He has also denied plotting to kill his former landlord with a man he met in church, Shu Man Poon.
Poon has been giving evidence in Li's trial and has faced questions on Friday morning from Li's lawyer, Paul Dacre KC.
The defence lawyer turned the narrative around on Poon, claiming it was he who murdered the couple.
Poon last year pleaded guilty to his role in the killings, but earlier in his evidence said it was Li alone who shot the Kwoks with an air-pistol and stomped on them as they lay on the floor.
He told jurors that Li then struck Kwok with a sharpened tomahawk, before he did the same.
"Do you think Mr Li was responsible for you killing Mr and Mrs Kwok?" Dacre asked.
"Yes," Poon replied, with the help of an interpreter.
"I'm going to suggest that you are responsible for your actions, do you agree?" said Dacre.
Poon did.
"And that you, and you alone are to blame for your actions, do you accept that?" Dacre asked.
"Not accept," Poon said.
Dacre asked about military-style boots Li had bought for Poon.
Poon said when they left the Kwoks' house, his boots were covered in blood.
"Was the cause of the blood on your boots because you had been stomping on Mrs Kwok?" Dacre said.
"No," Poon replied.
Police have released more details on the homicide investigation. (Source: 1News)
The court delved into Poon's background, coming to New Zealand as a 13-year-old, his training to be a nurse, and his work as an Armourguard security guard.
He said he had suffered from mental health issues since the death of his father, and was being medicated.
Poon was asked about his martial arts background, something the court had earlier heard both men were passionate about.
He said he had been appointed as a junior martial arts coach, practising Pak-Mei.
"Are you skilled at martial arts?" Dacre asked.
"No," Poon said.
"Did you give the impression to other people including the [church leaders] that you were a master in martial arts?" Dacre asked.
"I let them know who I really was."
Dacre asked who that was.
"Now I'm just only a most shameful senior, that's all," Poon said.
Dacre asked about a number of purchases Li had made for Poon.
Poon had racked up a $7000 debt to Li through online shopping, while he was receiving ACC payments for an ankle injury.
Li had loaned Poon money to buy the tomahawk that would later be used in the Kwok killings because he wanted to go camping, Poon said.
"Are you suggesting, Mr Poon, that that is a camping tomahawk?" Dacre asked.
"For chopping wood and breaking for the fire," Poon replied.
They also bought two pairs of night-vision goggles, also for camping Poon said, as well as a glass-cutter and coffee frother.
"Do you think in all these circumstances that you were taking advantage of Mr Li, to buy these items knowing that you couldn't pay him back?" Dacre asked.
"At that time under ACC, I haven't got more than enough money to pay him back, but once I get back to work I already told him that I would pay him back weekly," Poon said.
Poon had bought an air-pistol through a buy now, pay later scheme, as well as an air-rifle, machete and BB gun, he told the court.
He was asked by Dacre why he would buy the weapons.
"I love shooting while I was young, but I knew that I would never be allowed to shoot on any living beings, that's why I purchased, like, an aluminium box that can sit the target board on it for target shooting," Poon said.
Dacre asked about Poon's relationship with Li after the pair met at the Amazing Grace Christian Church.
Poon considered himself Li's 'big brother', something heard throughout his evidence.
"Were you sort of suggesting that you were acting as a sort of moral compass for Mr Li?" Dacre asked.
"I would not say it's a moral leader, but like an adviser."
Poon said he was setting a moral example for Li.
Dacre took Poon through the events of his arrest in Hamilton, and asked why he spoke to police following his guilty pleas.
"I'm willing to speak the truth," he said.
Dacre asked if he saw any advantage in speaking to police. Poon said it wasn't on his mind.
It was then Dacre threw another accusation at Poon - that the reason he was giving evidence was to assist his chances for a reduced sentence in the Court of Appeal. Poon said he never thought that far ahead.
"Are you suggesting to this court today that you've never thought about the issue that giving evidence may assist your appeal," Dacre asked.
"No," Poon said.
Poon said that moment was the first time he had connected the two actions.
The defence asked questions about the plot to murder Li's former landlord.
Poon denied ever agreeing to kill Li's landlord or taking steps to do so, saying he never intended to cause her any harm. He said he was there in his capacity as Li's 'big brother' and to try to stop him going through with the plan.
Dacre asked why Poon didn't stop Li when they went to his former landlord's property. with a plan to murder her.
"You know the difference between right and wrong, you know the difference between legal and illegal," he said, with Poon agreeing.
"Why won't you take responsibility for going around to that address?"
Poon had a number of times said he did not remember details about the plot.
"If somebody talks or makes a suggestion to anybody in this courtroom that they should join in a kidnapping and torturing of somebody, people would remember whether they agreed or didn't agree to that proposition," Dacre said.
Poon said he did not remember.
The trial continues before Justice Jane Anderson.
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