The High Court in Wellington where the trial is taking place. Photo: RNZ / Aaron Smale
A second trial has started today in the High Court in Wellington in relation to the death of Karori man Rau Tongia.
Tongia died in his Karori home in December 2020.
During a murder trial last year in which four women stood trial on murder charges, the Crown alleged that Tongia was shot in the back while he slept.
Shayde Weston who was accused of shooting Tongia, and Pania Waaka who was accused of driving Weston to Tongia's address, were both convicted of his murder.
Weston's half sister Breeze Hunt-Weston was convicted of accessory after the fact to murder for helping move the gun following Tongia's death.
A fourth woman, Louise Kelly Hume, was acquitted.
The woman currently standing trial, who has name suppression, is accused of being a party to murder.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The woman was originally expected to be part of last year's trial but was excused due to health reasons.
This trial, which was expected to start on Monday, has already faced delays with pre-trial matters taking up the intervening days.
Jury selection then started with a kerfuffle, when the first potential juror was called only for counsel to be unable to match the name against their provided list of jurors.
Justice Paul Radich explained to the jury pool after a short adjournment to sort out the matter that it had been a printing issue.
Twelve jurors were then quickly selected thereafter.
The trial is set down for three weeks.
What do we know from the 2024 trial?
During the 2024 trial the Crown said in the hours before Tongia's death, Weston was with the fifth woman.
Witnesses reported seeing the two women and Tongia at a party, where Weston and the fifth woman were seen kissing.
Witnesses said she appeared to be trying to get a rise out of Tongia.
Tongia is then alleged to have assaulted Weston while she was sleeping alone in the woman's bed.
Witnesses testified to seeing Weston with black eyes after the attack and reported a second confrontation then happening in the driveway of Tongia's Percy Dyett Drive address.
The Crown alleged Tongia was then shot in the back while he slept just hours later.
It alleged Weston either pulled the trigger or assisted in the shooting and Waaka drove her there.
In regard to the woman standing trial, the Crown believed she was also in the bedroom the night Tongia was shot.
