Wellington: Court hears of handless body find | New Zealand

Wellington: Court hears of handless body find

A man has told of finding the body of Tony Stanlake "rolling" in the surf of Wellington's south coast, on the first day of the murder trial into his death.
Daniel Robert Moore, 23, has been charged murdering Mr Stanlake, whose body was found washed-up on Wellington's South Coast in July 2006. The witness told the court he was walking his dogs along Red Rocks when he spotted the grizzly sight of Mr Stanlake’s body "rolling" in the surf. He said the body was very pale.	Accused - Daniel Robert Moore
"His hands weren’t there. They’d been cut off. There was some scarring, or something had happened around his neck."

Another witness said at first he thought the body was a dead dolphin, but the colour was wrong.

Mr Stanlake was found naked with his red underpants and trousers around his ankles.

This afternoon Crown Prosecutor Grant Burston told the jury that Moore, 23, was a partner in a hydroponic cannabis growing operation with Mr Stanlake.

"There were strong financial reasons for the accused wanting to eliminate Mr Stanlake and take over the cannabis growing business," Mr Burston said.

Mr Burston said Moore bought a mallet, packing tape, an axe and tarpaulin, the afternoon before Mr Stanlake was killed.

The Crown says later that night Mr Stanlake visited Moore in his Miramar house and was killed. His body was found the next day at Red Rocks, on Wellington's south coast.

Moore pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Stanlake in the High Court at Wellington this morning.

He appeared before Justice Forrest Miller wearing a smart dark suit.

He had short cropped hair and looked confident and calm as he as stood in the dock, only bowing his head as crown prosecutor Grant Burston read out the long list of people who will be called to give evidence against him.

The jury is scheduled to hear the evidence of more than 150 witnesses, either in person or having the witnesses' statements read to them.

Five men and seven women were selected for the jury. A small group of young supporters sat in the public gallery.

The trial is expected to take about six weeks.

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