N.Zealand: Jury out in handless body murder trial | New Zealand

N.Zealand: Jury out in handless body murder trial

The jury in the trial of Daniel Moore, accused of murdering Tony Stanlake and dumping his handless body at Red Rocks, has retired to consider its verdict.

Justice Forrie Miller finished his summing up just before 12.30pm, and the jury retired shortly after.

Yesterday, Moore's lawyer said his client had committed some heinous crimes, including disposing of Mr Stanlake's body, but the evidence was against him being the murderer.

In his final address to the jury in the High Court at Wellington,

Accused of Murder - Daniel Robert Moore

Greg King said it was impossible that Moore, 23, could have butchered Mr Stanlake, 62, so blood sprayed everywhere, and not leave blood or other evidence of the killing when he drove Mr Stanlake's car immediately afterwards, and stole money and jewellery from his home.
Murdered? Tony Stanlake	"If it is reasonably possible that someone else cut his throat, then, like it or not, he must be acquitted," Mr King said. But Crown prosecutor Grant Burston said Moore was an arrogant, cold-blooded executioner, who thought he could get away with murder on July 6, 2006, at the Miramar home where he and Mr Stanlake were growing cannabis. Mr King said the question posed on The Dominion Post front page of July 10, 2006, asking: "Who killed Tony?" was still relevant.
The Crown said the answer was Daniel Moore. The jury's job was to decide if the Crown was right, not to answer the question, Mr King said. Juliana Bosma, Mr Stanlake's second wife, listened to the final addresses from one side of the public gallery, and Kathy Hale, who he was seeing when he died, sat on the other side. Mr King continued his final address earlier today. Mr Burston said Moore arranged to meet Mr Stanlake, to have his flatmates out of the house, and kill Mr Stanlake. Months before, he had told a friend he would take out "The Boss", and afterwards he confessed that he had done it. Greed was behind the killing. After the murder, Moore harvested a cannabis crop worth perhaps more than $30,000 and dismantled the hydroponic growing kit for future use. Moore claimed he found the body and panicked but the Crown said there was no panic, it was business as usual – selling drugs, womanising, and socialising. It was calculated and premeditated, Mr Burston said. Moore was in debt. He borrowed $7000 from Mr Stanlake to buy a car, and then lost his share of the profits from one cannabis crop because he did not water it and it died. After Mr Stanlake's death he went on a spree, spending $4250 in cash in just a few days. THE CASE The victim: Tony Stanlake, 62, of Karori. The accused: Daniel Moore, 23, of Miramar. The charge: That Moore murdered Mr Stanlake on July 6, 2006, at Moore's rented Miramar home. Mr Stanlake's body was found at Red Rocks, Wellington, on July 9, 2006. The Crown says Moore and Mr Stanlake were partners in a cannabis growing business and Moore wanted to eliminate the senior partner. It alleges Moore hit Mr Stanlake with a mallet, cut his throat, removed his hands and dumped the body at Red Rocks. Moore has pleaded not guilty and told police he found the body, panicked and got rid of it. http://www.stuff.co.nz