Accused’s father was a suspect in stop-go killing

Quinton Winders’ father was alleged by police to be the ‘‘mastermind’’ of the George Taiaroa homicide.

Max Winders was twice questioned by police about the alleged murder.

Quinton Winders is accused of gunning down Taiaroa, a stop-go worker, in Atiamuri in March 2013. The Crown alleges the catalyst for the killing stemmed from a minor traffic accident on March 12, 2013, which the Crown says Quinton Winders blamed Taiaroa for.

During questioning of Max Winders by defence lawyer Jonathan Temm yesterday, the court heard that on April 4 and April 18, 2013 – while Max Winders was at his Ngongataha farm – the police armed offenders squad swarmed his house and took him in for questioning.

Max said that when he saw three police officers with machine guns coming toward him: ‘‘I thought Gestapo had come to get me. I thought I was dreaming.’’

‘‘Then they told me they had Quin and also my wife . . . under arrest.’’

On April 18, the second time the armed offenders squad came to the Winders’ Ngongataha farm, Max Winders was interviewed by a detective. During this interview he was accused of ‘‘masterminding the murder of George Taiaroa’’.

He said neither he nor his son knew Taiaroa, knew what he looked like, nor knew where he was. ‘‘I also said to him that young Quin couldn’t possibly have committed that crime because he knew no more than me.’’

Earlier yesterday, the court also heard that Max Winders told his son that the police might pull him over due to his Jeep Cherokee.

Max Winders had learned about the stop-go homicide from William Lane, the man he had backed into at the roadworks on State Highway 1 in Atiamuri, where George Taiaroa was operating a stop-go sign at the time.

In evidence given earlier in the trial, Lane said Taiaroa’s sign could not be seen when the minor vehicle mishap occurred.

Questioned by Crown prosecutor Amanda Gordon, Max Winders told the court that Lane had rung him to discuss insurance. During that conversation, Lane told Max Winders that the man who operated the sign on the day of the crash was the man who had been shot dead, the senior Winders testified.

Max Winders said that, at the time, he was not aware of the Atiamuri shooting. He watched the news and learned police were hunting for a blue Jeep Cherokee.

‘‘You said after you spoke to Mr Lane, he told you about the stop-go man being murdered and you made a point of watching the news?’’ Gordon asked. ‘‘Yes,’’ Max Winders responded. ‘‘Did you speak to Quinton about that?’’ Gordon asked. ‘‘Yes,’’ Max replied. ‘‘What did you say?’’ ‘‘You can be expected to be pulled up with that vehicle,’’ Max Winders said he told his son.

‘‘He just said ‘Oh yeah’, and we carried on with our work.’’

The conversation happened on Quinton Winders’ property near Stratford days after Taiaroa was gunned down.

Max Winders told the court he did not see Taiaroa on the day of the fender-bender with Lane.

Max Winders told the court that on the day Taiaroa was gunned down, he dropped Quinton at the panel beater’s in Stratford to pick up his Jeep Cherokee. ‘‘Do you know why Quinton’s Jeep was at the panel beater’s?’’ Gordon asked.

‘‘He pranged it,’’ Max Winders replied.