I’ve just finished my two days of jury service at the high court 
I was called up for a possible two week stint and was a possible juror for two trials. In the end I didn’t get picked for either and didn’t even make it past the random ballot stage which was good.
The trial that started yesterday was a murder trial and was expected to go for up to two weeks and I’m not sure what the one today was for. Yesterday’s trial made the newspaper today and I have scanned in the details – they are found in the “click here..” section of this entry. I’m glad I didn’t have to see pictures of that!
A Porirua man shouted the beer for his friend?s 49th birthday celebration and then allegedly bashed him to death with a piece of timber, a Wellington jury has been told.
In the High Court at Wellington yesterday, prosecutor Grant Burston said Jacob Parata and Lewis Thorp both stayed at a sprawling boarding house in Elsdon known as The Embassy.
Parata paid for the beer to celebrate Mr Thorp?s 49th birthday last July 3 but is alleged to have continued drinking, come home and tried to wake Mr Thorp, and then repeatedly smashed his skull with a piece of wood.
The Crown alleges Parata then dragged Mr Thorp outside to a car belonging to another of the boarding house residents.
Parata, 27, unemployed, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Thorp.
Mr Burston said buying the beer for his friend?s birthday had left Parata with almost no money. He had ended the day in Porirua city center, being ejected from one bar and kept out another for being intoxicated. While he was out he met his son?s grandparents and spoke to them of his concerns that he would not be able to pay for his son?s birthday present.
Police found Parata at his mother?s house an hour or two after the attack. He told police he had been defending himself, and Mr Thorp had injured his eye, making it bleed. But the blood on, his clothing was Mr Thorp’s, not his own, Mr Burston said.
Parata?s injuries were superficial, he said.
Intensive care paramedic Donald Banks said Mr Thorp?s head injury was as bad as any he had seen in more than 20 years working as an ambulance officer. Parata?s trial is expected to end early next week.
sicko dude. you’re very lucky! (oh….innocence until proven guilty of course