Thu 7 Apr 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Ihaia Gillman-Harris In a hushed courtroom at the High Court in Auckland security camera footage of the periods before and after the attack on gay man Ihaia Gillman-Harris were played this morning, showing him arriving with his two alleged attackers, that pair leaving in his vehicle and the victim emerging from a motel unit in a bloodied and confused state. Family of Gillman-Harris, including a sister and brother, were among those who watched intently as a police officer played excerpts from security cameras recorded on the morning of December 27, 2014 when it is alleged Leonard Nattrass-Bergquist and Beauen Wallace-Loretz attacked Gillman-Harris who died hours later in hospital. Footage from a Newmarket bank ATM showed Gillman-Harris withdrawing money and leaving in his Range Rover accompanied by two people. He was then seen checking into the nearby Ascot Motel where two youths walked into his room. Gillman-Harris then drove the vehicle to a carpark at the rear of his room where one of the youths let him in through a back gate and private courtyard. Around 8.34am the youths emerge through the courtyard. One, apparently carrying a long white object, appears to walk towards the street but moments later returns to the Range Rover hastily and the pair drive off. Just over 22 minutes later Gillman-Harris was seen emerging barefoot from the front door of the motel unit clasping a towel to his face. He attempts to open the door of a car parked close to his unit then goes back inside. He repeats this process several times until motel staff begin to intervene. At 9.30 police arrive, followed a couple of minutes later buy the first ambulance unit to respond to the incident. By 10.00 Gillman-Harris is seen being strapped into a stretcher immediately outside the unit. Prior to the cctv footage evidence the court and jury were guided through an analysis overview of when txts were sent between Gillman-Harris and the two accused plus one other male. The texts spanned the period from December 19, when the defence suggested Gillman-Harris and Wallace-Loretz first met, until late in the day Gillman-Harris died. The accused have pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering Gillman Harris.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 7th April 2016 - 1:53pm