The Crown says a man intended to kill an unarmed police officer when he fired 10 shots at him before murdering another, but the shooters lawyer says there was no deliberate attempt to kill.
Eli Bob Sauni Epiha, 25, has admitted murdering Constable Matthew Hunt with a military-style semi-automatic rifle, and dangerous driving causing injury to a member of the public, on June 19, 2020. But he denies attempting to murder Constable David Goldfinch.
On Thursday, Natalie Brackens charge of being an accessory after the fact of murder was amended. It was changed to being an accessory after the fact of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, due to the time Hunt was pronounced dead.
Bracken admits driving Epiha away from the scene but told police she did so because she was threatened with a gun.
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On the day of the shooting, Hunt and Goldfinch attempted to stop a car being driven erratically by Epiha.
The scene of the fatal shooting of Constable Matthew Hunt in June 2020. Inset, left to right: Eli Bob Sauni Epiha, Natalie Bracken, Constable Matthew Hunt.
He refused to stop and the car was eventually found crashed on a nearby road, with a pedestrian injured.
As an unarmed Goldfinch approached the car, Epiha opened fire, shooting the officer 10 times.
On Thursday afternoon, Crown prosecutor Brian Dickey closed the case to the jury, saying it was clear Epiha had an intention to kill when he stepped out of the car holding a military-style AK-47 replica gun.
He was always going to open fire. We can say that with 100 per cent confidence because he did open fire. He just started shooting, Dickey said.
Constable Goldfinch miraculously escapes with his life, but hes shot four times … he escapes, evades and takes cover.
Constable David Goldfinch said he faced a hail of bullets from Eli Epiha.
Dickey said Hunt courageously got out of the police car to assist his partner and was shot four times by Epiha.
The prosecutor said it was clear Bracken knew a police officer had been wounded before she offered assistance.
The evidence that she was acting under any threat is very thin. [Afterwards] Shes dying her hair and obviously avoiding the attention of the New Zealand Police.
Dickey said Bracken had the opportunity to tell police what shed done, but chose not to until after she was arrested.
Mark Edgar, representing Epiha, told the jury that on the day of the shooting, his client armed himself with weapons after receiving a call from a family member in distress, who said gang members were at her house.
He made that fateful decision to obtain the guns, he said.
Eli Epiha told the court he never intended to kill Constable Goldfinch.
Epiha had a clear intention to evade Hunt and Goldfinch when spotted by them, but there was no intention to murder Goldfinch when he fired those shots, Edgar said.
He had the chance to kill and had a clear shot, but instead he fired a warning shot, Edgar said.
He didn’t want the officer dead, he just didnt want him there.
Bracken prevented further carnage
Bracken’s lawyer, Adam Couchman, told the jury there was a Bonnie and Clyde narrative around his client, but she had simply tried to help that day.
There would have been a bloodbath if she didnt get him [Epiha] out [from Reynella Dr].
Bracken believed she was protecting everyone in the street and preventing further carnage, he said.
Natalie Bracken has admitted driving the car, but denies being an accessory after the fact.
She panicked when she saw herself on the news and that was why she dyed her hair on the morning she was arrested.
Ambition to kill
Earlier on Thursday, under cross-examination by Dickey, Epiha denied he had any intention to kill a police officer.
Giving evidence, Epiha said he wanted to gap it after crashing the car, but Dickey said confronting a police officer was not gapping it.
This was going to be a shooting, not a gap it, Dickey said.
Epiha told Dickey he thought Goldfinch would run away after he fired the first shot.
I didnt shoot any of the shots at him to kill him … I just wanted to keep him running.
Eli Epiha was seen fleeing with guns after fatally shooting Constable Matthew Hunt. Viewers may find this video disturbing.
Goldfinch was hit four times by Epihas bullets.
For a guy not trying to hit a police officer, youre doing a pretty good job of it, Dickey said.
Your ambition was to shoot him dead?
Epiha again rejected Dickeys proposition.
The defendant told the prosecutor he first saw Hunt when he on his way back to his car after Goldfinch fled.
I spun around to head back to the car, and thats when I got a big fright … I didnt know there was a second officer, Epiha said.
He was just there. Standing by the boot of the car, Epiha said.
Constable Matthew Hunt was fatally shot on June 19, 2020.
Dickey suggested Epiha was in the mood to shoot police officers that day and claimed he shot Hunt because Goldfinch got away.
Epiha claimed Hunt asked for help, and he thought about giving him some assistance, but heard sirens.
I was thinking about chucking him in the police car and driving him down to Waitkere Hospital, Epiha told the court.
The prosecutor said he left Hunt dying on the road while working on his escape strategy.
Justice Geoffrey Venning will sum up to the jury on Friday.