Victim helped finance youths’ drug use
An 87-year-old man – living in a house crammed with hoarded goods – was bashed to death in his Christchurch home by a teenager whose life revolved around getting money to buy synthetic drugs.
The defence at the two-week trial is urging the jury to return a manslaughter verdict rather than murder.
The trial has heard that elderly Harold Richardson was involved in a ‘‘Fagin’’ type operation with a group of 16 and 17-year-old youths in the Upper Riccarton area in 2015.
The group included Taniela Kotoitoga Daven Tiako Waitokia, who is now charged with murdering Richardson.
Waitokia, now aged 18, denies the murder charge.
Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier said Richardson lived in a ‘‘hoarder’s den’’ where every corner was crammed with goods.
He would pay the youths for odd jobs they did around the house, or for items they brought to sell him.
Defence counsel Jonathan Eaton, QC, told the jury that Richardson was a friend of Waitokia. ‘‘He used to give him money when he was buying stolen property, for Taniela to feed his drug habit’’.
Boshier told the jury that Richardson had regular contact with the group of 16 and 17-year-olds.
‘‘They didn’t go to school or work. It seems all they did do was smoke synthetic drugs, sleep, and try to get more drugs to continue the cycle. The defendant told police his life revolved around getting money to buy synthetic drugs.’’
The Crown will call evidence from 20 witnesses in the two-week trial before Justice Cameron Mander and a jury in the High Court at Christchurch.
Eaton said Waitokia had always accepted that he would be guilty of manslaughter, but he denied committing murder. He had never thought that what he was doing might kill Richardson.