Gun found under bed, court told

Firearms were the focus of the ongoing stop-go murder trial in the High Court in Rotorua yesterday.

Quinton Winders, 45, is accused of gunning down George Taiaroa, a stop-go worker, at Atiamuri in March 2013.

The Crown alleges the catalyst for the killing was a minor traffic accident on March 12, 2013, which the Crown says Quinton Winders blamed Taiaroa for.

However, the defence claims the homicide was a case of mistaken identity.

Giving evidence on day 18 of the trial, Detective Andrew Livingstone spoke about taking part in police searches on April 4 and April 18, 2013, of a farm at Ngongotaha owned by the accused’s father, Max Winders.

A rifle wrapped in a towel was found underneath Max Winders’ bed during the earlier search.

The 77-year-old told police he used the gun to shoot rabbits.

He was arrested at the second search and charged with careless use of a firearm. The case went to court and he was offered diversion.

Livingstone interviewed Max Winders on both occasions.

Crown prosecutor Amanda Gordon asked the policeman whether during those interviews he had told Max Winders he was being viewed as the ‘‘mastermind’’ behind Taiaroa’s killing – something the senior Winders, earlier in the trial, alleged had happened.

Livingstone denied this, as did another police witness who acted as a ‘‘monitor’’ during those interviews, Senior Sergeant Matthew Laurenson. Livingstone was also involved in a police search of a farm and nearby bushland north of Benneydale, on April 25.

A gun case and a box of ammunition was found in scrub, not far from a track through the bush.

The farm was owned by Kieron O’Dwyer, who had employed Quinton Winders to do fencing on his property.