DNA places murder accused in same car as victims

Raymond Fleet and nephew James Fleet were found in the Mamaku Forest on August 17 last year. Photos: Ben Bathgate/Stuff.

DNA testing on blood found in the four-wheel drive used to run over Raymond Fleet's head matched one of the men on trial accused of his murder.

At the fifth day of the trial of Mikaere Huru and Zen Pulemoana for the double murder of uncle and nephew Raymond and James Fleet, it was revealed blood found inside the vehicle matched both Fleet men and Pulemoana.

Blood found on the under carriage of the vehicle matched to Raymond's.

Two men have already been convicted for the killing in Mamaku in last August, with Martin Hone sentenced for his role in the murder and Richard Te Kani sentenced to manslaughter.

The jury also heard evidence from farm workers who were alerted to raised voices on the day the Crown alleges the killings took place on the rural Cecil Rd.

Haylen Forster described hearing "loud abusive yelling" and approaching the scene to investigate.

She said she heard the words: "You're lucky we don't shoot you, you c***."

She said she heard the words "clear as day".

The exchange took place by two vehicles, one the four-wheel drive.

Under questioning from Pulemoana's lawyer Max Simpkins, she was adamant about the words she heard.

"It's still stuck in my head ... those threatening words hit home because I live there, right there on the boundary of the farm. I could get shot and die there."

The altercation was also heard by her co-worker Samantha Olney, who described hearing "things like f*** you, and someone's going to get hurt, killed".

Forster also described hearing noises from the same location later that night.

"[Like] a dog was attacking something, the squeals that were coming from the bush did not belong to a pig."

Over the course of the trial the Crown has alleged the killing took place in the wake of a botched methamphetamine "cook" arranged by Raymond Fleet – something his nephew James played no role in.

Mikaere Huru and Zen Pulemoana are on trial at the High Court in Rotorua for the double murder of Raymond and James Fleet.

Crown prosecutor Duncan McWilliam said the "cook" descended into "suspicion, paranoia, threats and ultimately murder" as gang members came to believe Raymond had dipped into the yield.

Lawyers for Huru and Pulemoana have accepted their clients' presence at the time of the murders, but claimed they played no part in the fatal violence and, as gang prospects, were beholden to members further up the chain who have since been convicted.

-Stuff/Ben Bathgate

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