Drug debt led to death on rural road, jury told
When Alistair Cochrane pointed a shotgun at Luke Sears on a rural Canterbury road, Sears walked towards him and asked him what he was planning to do.
Moments later Cochrane allegedly pulled the trigger, hitting Sears in the chest.
Sears died shortly after on the side of the road.
This was the picture painted in the opening statement of Crown prosecutor Mitchell McClenaghan at the trial of Alistair Cochrane, 26, Daniel French, 36, and Tereina Delia Sullivan. Cochrane and French have denied murdering Sears, 28, also known as Luke Riddell, on October 13, 2018.
McClenaghan told the jury in the High Court at Christchurch yesterday that Sears’ death was the result of conflict over an alleged drug debt. According to the Crown, French ran a largescale cannabis operation in Charing Cross, Selwyn.
Sears, a member of the King Cobras gang, allegedly bought cannabis from French.
A dispute arose between French and Sears. Sears thought French owed the gang money but French thought he was owed $20,000 by Sears.
The Crown alleges two confrontations happened between French and Sears a day before Sears’ death, and that Cochrane and Sullivan were present during both. McClenaghan said Sears threatened French with a pistol
Kerry Cook Defence counsel
and punched him in the face during one of the incidents.
The Crown alleges French and Cochrane passed Sears and his partner in Grange Rd, Charing Cross, while on they were heading to French’s home the next day. French and Sears got out of their vehicles and a physical confrontation ensued. Cochrane allegedly produced a shotgun to try to scare off Sears, who told the two men they were not going anywhere and tried to take the keys from their vehicle. Cochrane then pulled the trigger, shooting Sears in the chest and shoulder, McClenaghan said. French and Cochrane then drove away, leaving Sears collapsed on the road with his partner trying to flag down other vehicles for help. Sears died shortly after. McClenaghan said that although French was not the one who pulled the trigger, he was guilty of murder under party liability.
Kerry Cook, defence counsel for Cochrane, said Cochrane never intended to kill anyone and only presented the firearm to stop Sears from assaulting French further. ‘‘Death was not on his mind. He did not want to be there, he was trying to leave.’’
Cook said Cochrane was ‘‘a simple, somewhat clumsy man’’ who was put in the terrible position of seeing his employer being assaulted and then too being threatened. Cochrane was employed at French’s pet food business. Cook asked the jury to consider the fear a gang member like Sears created, and that Cochrane was in a dangerous situation at the time.
‘‘Some of the evidence you are going to hear might be upsetting,’’ Cook said. The details of guns and gang members they would hear could be ‘‘like something out of a Tarantino film’’.
Sullivan is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, five charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Crown alleges Sullivan, who was also employed at French’s pet food business, tried to mislead police more than once during their investigation by giving them false information.
Sullivan also denied knowing anything about firearms and ammunition found at her house.
At the start of the trial, Cochrane pleaded guilty to four charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The jury trial is being heard in front of Justice David Gendall and has been set down for three weeks.
The details of guns and gang members the jury would hear could be ‘‘like something out of a Tarantino film’’.