Witness in cells after staying silent

A man is spending two nights in the cells after he refused to give evidence in a murder trial about an alleged violent gang depatching.

Jimmy Ash was beamed into the High Court at Palmerston North yesterday via an audiovisual link.

Staring at the camera, he said nothing when asked to take an oath or affirmation to confirm his evidence would be truthful.

A lawyer in the AVL room with Ash confirmed he could hear and see into the courtroom, but Ash remained unmoved and unspeaking.

Justice Helen Cull told Ash: ‘‘Where a witness refuses to give evidence you might be detained in custody until you have reflected on that and come back to court. Do you wish to reconsider your position?’’

Ash said nothing. The judge ordered him into custody to be brought back to court tomorrow.

He was there to talk about the armed robbery of Barry Long’s Baring St, Bunnythorpe, property in September 2019.

The court has heard Codi Wilkinson, armed with a gun, and his friend Kyle Rowe robbed Long of $11,000 cash and 3 ounces of methamphetamine, and that Wilkinson failed to share the spoils.

This led to Wilkinson and Rowe having their Mongrel Mob patches taken from them.

Jeremiah and Mariota Sua, Dean Arthur Jennings, Jason David Signal and Quentin Joseph Moananui are on trial for killing

Wilkinson in September 2019.

The five men are also accused of hurting Rowe, while kicking the pair out of the Mongrel Mob. Aside from Signal, the other four are Mob members.

The jury was shown CCTV footage from Long’s house that showed Wilkinson entering the property carrying an item Detective Tinamalone said was a gun.

A statement of facts the defence doesn’t dispute was read to the jury, saying Long went to Palmerston North Hospital on September 11, 2019, suffering a bruised right knee. He was discharged the same day.

Earlier yesterday, Wilkinson’s partner Krystal Hewitt was questioned again by the Crown after spending Tuesday answering questions from the defence.

The court has heard she’s been granted immunity from facing charges of accessory after the fact, supply and possession of a class A drug and possession of an offensive weapon.

Hewitt said this was offered to her by police about a week before the trial. Her statements about what happened before and during the night Wilkinson was allegedly killed were made in 2019.

She put a police contact in her cellphone as ‘‘aunty’’ so nobody questioned it when the name flashed up.

The trial continues.

‘‘Do you wish to reconsider your position?’’

Justice Helen Cull speaking to witness Jimmy Ash