Thursday, November 2, 2017
Robert Hohua in the High Court at Tauranga. File photo
Haylee King
A WITNESS called to give evidence at Robert Roupere Hohua’s murder trial described the defendant as agitated and dark when she recalled her encounter with him on the night Marie Harlick was killed.
Key witnesses gave evidence during the jury trial for Hohua, who is in the High Court at Tauranga defending a murder charge.
“I’ve heard his voice enough times to know it was him.”
Neighbour Rosealie Hall, who lived in another property immediately next to Miss Harlick, shared her “scary” encounter with Hohua moments before police arrived.
On November 22, Ms Hall was walking home from Windsor Street, Opotiki, around 10pm when she thought she would check in on Miss Harlick, having been aware of tension at the property earlier in the evening.
“As I was walking past the house, I heard a big bang, like something heavy fell on the floor.
“I went to unlock the gate but then the dog started barking.
“I hadn’t even unlatched the gate and Hohua came out the front door and to the gate.”
Ms Hall said she told Hohua she was at the house to see Marie but was told, “nah bro, she’s asleep”.
“He seemed agitated and a bit dark. He seemed a bit scary to me. I just didn’t feel comfortable.”
She went home and minutes later noticed police had arrived.
“Half an hour later, police brought over the baby and I looked after the baby for the night.”
It was a busy night for Constable Hamish MacDonald who was attending a serious assault at Opape when he was called to the domestic incident at Miss Harlick’s address.
As a priority one job, Mr MacDonald left the Opape incident and arrived at Wellington Street within 10 minutes. Whakatane police and dog handler Dave Robison was also called to the scene.
Mr MacDonald said Miss Harlick and Hohua were both known to police and he had attended a domestic incident involving the couple before.
Both police officers arrived at the address together, parking across the road so they were not visible.
“I noticed someone straight away. I indicated someone in the window to the right of the front door. I could make out it was a male. I had met the defendant before and recognised it was him.
“It appeared he was washing his hands. Occasionally looking out of the window and back down.”
Mr MacDonald said he and Mr Robison didn’t muck around and together, “bunny-hopped” the low fence before the figure in the window disappeared.
Moments later, Mr MacDonald heard the “crack of the taser” and went to assist Mr Robison.
Hohua was tasered and arrested for breaching his bail.
Mr MacDonald said, as he escorted Hohua to the police car, Hohua noticed the front door of the property was open and pleaded it be closed because there was nobody home.
“At the car, I had the torch on and looked over Hohua’s clothing and saw blood on his shorts and T-shirt.”
Hohua told Mr MacDonald the blood was from a bleeding nose.
“I looked up his nostrils and clearly couldn’t see any blood at all.”
Mr MacDonald told Mr Robison about the blood before he checked inside the property and then returned to his police car for the first aid kit.
Next, Mr MacDonald said Criminal Investigation Branch detective Jonathan McKenzie arrived at the scene and announced to Hohua that Miss Harlick had died.
“The defendant became a sobbing mess, banging his head on the window and the back of the front passenger seat.”
The trial is scheduled to take two weeks.