Text to cousin ‘life or death situation’

The man on trial for a 2020 double murder texted his cousin on the day of the killings asking for bullets, telling him it was a ‘‘life or death situation’’.

Samuel Deane Fane, 26, is on trial at the High Court in Tauranga where he faces two charges of murder.

He is accused of killing Paul Lasslett, 43, and Nick Littlewood, 32, in Omanawa on February 11 last year.

Fane’s partner Sarah Lee

Tarei is also on trial facing a charge of being an accessory after the fact to the alleged murders.

The Crown alleged that Samuel Fane and his brother Anthony Fane, since deceased, committed the murders after Anthony believed Lasslett had been involved in a sexual relationship with his partner, using a shotgun and sawn off .22 rifle.

Laslett and Littlewood were found by police on February 11 last year at Laslett’s rural property. Fane’s lawyer Simon

Lance told the jury of nine women and three men that his client was unaware of the killings and that the responsibility lay with his brother Anthony.

On the fourth day of the trial evidence was given by Fane’s cousin, Roropo Nicholas.

Under questioning from Crown lawyer Justine Sutton, Nicholas was asked about a text message he received on February 11 from Samuel ‘‘about some bullets’’.

Sutton said the text read: ‘‘Cuz, I’m in urgent need . . . can I get some bullets, it’s a life or death situation’’.

Nicholas said his cousin had never asked him for bullets before, and did not respond when he asked why he needed them.

He said he placed some bullets in his letter box, texting his cousin to tell him their location, but when he arrived he told him he did not need them anymore.

Nicholas also said that on February 15 he disposed of the bullets.

‘‘Threw them off a bridge,’’ he said. The jury were also shown a multi-media presentation when Detective Daniel Eliott took the witness stand.

The images began with satellite pictures of various locations with text messages overlaid on the screen. A number of messages were shown between Samuel and Tarei where she said she hoped he would be back soon, and that she loved him.

One reply from Samuel read: ‘‘I just can’t let my brother do it alone’’.

The trial is set to continue and is expected to last four weeks.