‘I can’t remember how many times I hit her’

A man accused of murdering his mother in a row over her holiday has told a court that he could not remember how many times he hit her head with a hammer.

Martin Marinovich killed his mother, Noeleen Ann Marinovich, on February 7 last year but denies it was murder.

Shortly after midnight, he made a 111 call from the Sturges Rd train station, admitting he attacked the 59-year-old.

In the High Court at Auckland Marinovich recalled fighting with his mother over money on the night she died.

“She wanted to go to Queenstown for her birthday, we didn’t have enough money. We didn’t even have enough money to fix the toilet,” Marinovich said.

They faced each other in the lounge and shouted at each other.

“I’m not sure how long we were there for — at some point during that argument, I can only describe it like a light switch turning on.”

He got so angry that it was not even anger, it was more like rage, he said.

“I continued to strangle her, essentially for what felt to me like 10, 15 minutes at that point.”

He pulled a blanket off the sofa and placed it on her neck. He noticed “blood poured out of her nose”.

At that point he believed his mother was dead, he said.

“That caused me to enter a state I can only describe as total and complete panic.”

He paced the lounge and then picked up the hammer, striking her head multiple times.

“I can’t remember how many times I hit her.”

His lawyer, Shane Tait, asked: “Your mother was lying dead on the floor and you didn’t call an ambulance, why not?”

He replied he did not know. “I was in such a state of panic, fear. I didn’t even consider it at that time.”

Tait told the jury it was a manslaughter versus murder case.

His client had the right to remain silent but chose not to exercise that right, Tait said.

“He was full and frank with the police from the moment he made that triple 1 call.”

He told police he had attacked his mother, showered and changed before driving from their Oratia home to the station. His story had not changed, Tait said.

“At the end of the day horrendous behaviour, absolutely horrendous, but not murder.”

Crown prosecutor Robin McCoubrey asked Marinovich why he would attack his mother with a hammer if he believed she was already dead.

The defendant could not explain himself.

“I don’t understand my own actions at that point.”

McCoubrey also asked Marinovich about circular bruises on his mother’s forearms.

“If the jury were to conclude those were defensive injuries that would pose you real problems wouldn’t it?”

“Yes,” the defendant replied. The defence also called an expert witness who said Marinovich had only been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) following his arrest.

Dr Mhairi Duffy said he showed a number of the features expected from someone with ASD, including difficulty changing mindset and lack of intonation.

The trial, before Justice Tracey Walker, resumes today.