Red Fox jury told of earlier conviction

Accused committed prior robbery, courts hears during murder trial

One of the men accused of the fatal 1987 Red Fox Tavern robbery had earlier been convicted of an aggravated robbery in Auckland.

Mark Joseph Hoggart, 60, and a man with name suppression are on trial for the aggravated robbery and murder of publican Chris Bush.

It is alleged cheques and cash to the value of just over $36,000 were stolen in the armed hold-up at the tavern in Maramarua, Waikato. Both accused deny the charges. Yesterday the jury learned the man with name suppression had been jailed for an aggravated robbery in Auckland in the early 1980s.

One of his associates in the crime — Charles Emile Augustus Ross — has been giving evidence in court.

Before he took the stand however, the jury heard an account of the earlier robbery.

The defendant with name suppression had two 12-gauge doublebarrelled shotguns sawed down with a hacksaw, the court was told.

He, Ross and another associate had planned to wait until 1am, when a staff member was due to open a vault to store the takings.

The group watched the guests leave, until only socialising employees remained.

The accused was wearing steelcapped boots, black corduroy trousers and three jerseys under a tracksuit top.

The day before he had cut the sleeves of an old purple jersey, fashioning them into two balaclavas for himself and Ross. The third man waited outside.

Once disguised and armed, the pair confronted a barman as he came out through a locked door.

Ross hit the barman on the side of his face with the barrel of his shotgun.

With a shotgun to his back, the barman was forced back inside.

A receptionist and the barman were then forced to lie on the ground, the latter “forcefully” kicked by one of the two offenders.

The barman and receptionist were marched at gunpoint to an upstairs bar where six or seven employees were playing pool. All were marched single-file back down.

The accused demanded the duty manager open the safe — but in his fear he forgot the combination.

Ross struck him over the head with the butt of the shotgun, the impact causing it to fire. A shot smashed into the ceiling, shattering a fluorescent light bulb over the employees.

When the vault was finally opened, the robbers made off with $45,432.22, including $31,566.60 in cash. Their associate drove the pair away from the crime scene.

The accused threw some of the items off a bridge. The balaclavas were burned.

Ross used his share to buy a $5000 Triumph Trident motorcycle.

All were soon arrested and admitted their roles.

The lengthy trial, before the jury and Justice Mark Woolford, continues in the High Court at Auckland.