A West Auckland shooting was recorded on a smart phone app the shooter secretly installed on his girlfriend's phone.
Entrance to the High Court in Auckland Photo: justice.govt.nz
Jason Terrence Lee, 33, is on trial in the High Court at Auckland charged with attempted murder, discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, discharging a firearm with reckless disregard and blackmail.
The second charge is an alternative to the first.
Mr Lee is accused of trying to murder an associate by shooting at him as he sat in a car next to his 4-year-old child on in Te Atatu last year.
This morning Crown prosecutor Catilin Hollings opened the Crown's case by telling the jury Mr Lee shot at an associate, Robert Flavell, four times on 15 September.
The case hinges on what Mr Lee intended when he fired the gun. The Crown says he intended to kill Mr Flavell or at the very least he intended to cause him serious harm.
Ms Hollings said the backdrop to the events that transpired that day could be found in Mr Lee's "on-again off-again" relationship with Korrinne Hanks.
The pair were living together in Te Atatu but Mr Lee was suspicious of a business relationship Ms Hanks had with Mr Flavell and suspected they were more than just friends, she said.
The Crown prosecutor said Mr Flavell owed Ms Hanks money for a Holden car and Mr Lee decided the debt was also owed to him.
The day before the shooting Mr Lee and Ms Hanks discussed trying to recover the debt and on 15 September the defendant turned up at Mr Flavell's address to recover it, she said.
Mr Lee told Mr Flavell he intended to take the Holden car and an argument ensued during which his ex-partner noticed he was holding something in his hand that was covered, Ms Hollings said.
The Crown prosecutor said Mr Flavell put his 4-year-old son in another car to leave the property but realised he was blocked in as Mr Lee had parked over the driveway.
Ms Hollings said Mr Flavell tried to reverse anyway, pushing past the Holden vehicle, when Mr Lee revealed a cut-down .22 rifle and fired it at the car.
During the opening of the Crown's case the jury were played an audio recording made through a smart phone app on Ms Hanks' phone.
It had been secretly installed to record her conversations by Mr Lee, Ms Hollings said.
In the recording, Mr Lee can be heard saying "I'm going to get real angry soon" before the sound of a gunshot.
Following this Mr Flavell's partner can be heard saying her child was in the car and before more shots are fired.
Mr Lee can then be heard saying, "I'm going to kill that c***."
Ms Hollings said some of those involved in the incident were associates or members of the Head Hunters motorcycle gang.
The defence will open its case tomorrow.
