Court hears of text feud before murder
Some of the abusive texts exchanged between John Murray Morton and the man accused of his murder have been heard by a court.
Martin John Price is on trial at the High Court in Nelson, accused of murdering Morton, whose body was found on a boat moored in Nelson on August 4, 2016.
The court has heard how Morton was stabbed and severely beaten.
Yesterday, Crown prosecutor Jackson Webber read out a number of text exchanges between Morton and Price. It appeared many were related to a $20 debt.
In one, Morton called Price a ‘‘loser’’ to which Price responded, ‘‘get f...ed fat boy’’.
Another message from Price read: ‘‘Don’t worry c..., I’ll be back soon enough to get down to ya boat to sort you out you retarded c....’’
‘‘Easier to pay your debt dreamer, $20,’’ Morton replied.
On Wednesday, Christchurchbased pathologist Dr Martin Sage said an autopsy revealed Morton received seven stab wounds and a number of blunt force injuries to his head and torso.
Sage said it was unlikely that Morton would have died from any of the injuries alone, but collectively they proved fatal.
‘‘It would most likely have taken him many tens of minutes to die from these injuries.’’
Three of the stab wounds were more than 10 centimetres deep and the most serious, through the left side of Morton’s chest, pierced several organs with the blade almost exiting through his back.
Sage said there were also seven areas of deep bruising on Morton’s scalp and there was extensive grazing and bruising to his torso and limbs.
In cross examination, defence counsel Ron Mansfield questioned whether the injuries could have been accidental and occurred during a struggle between the pair.
Crown witness Paul O’Carroll told the court on Wednesday that Morton was his ‘brother’. The two weren’t related, but O’Carroll said they were good friends and often spent time together at ‘‘Shipwreck Cove’’, the nickname given to the area where Morton’s boat was moored.
O’Carroll had a few drinks with Morton on his boat the night before he died.
Giving evidence, O’Carroll said he did not get on with Price, having decided he did not like his character. He spoke of an earlier incident at Morton’s boat where Price brandished a knife and yelled at the pair.
In cross examination, Mansfield argued that O’Carroll only told police of the knife incident after he learnt of Morton’s death, as he knew he was a person of interest in the caseO’Carroll denied the claim.