Love Triangle Motive Suggested In Slaying (Press, 17 March 1987)

A murder case in Whangaparaoa is unfolding in the High Court at Auckland, centering around the death of 27-year-old Graeme Lewis, who was killed on 31 May 1986. The accused are 33-year-old Stephen Clifford Curtis, a sickness beneficiary, and 24-year-old Colin Harold Jerry, who is unemployed. Both men have pleaded not guilty alongside 27-year-old Lawrence Beatie Jerry, also a sickness beneficiary, who is charged with suppressing evidence to help his brother avoid arrest. During the closing arguments, Crown prosecutor Roy Ladd presented a theory suggesting a love triangle as a potential motive for the murder, highlighting tensions between Colin Jerry and Graeme Lewis due to Lewis's relationship with Curtis. Ladd noted that Colin Jerry exhibited signs of jealousy and aggression towards Lewis and that discussions about killing Lewis had taken place between Curtis and Colin. He pointed out that Colin had previously made advances toward Lewis, which were not reciprocated, leading to increased animosity. Ladd argued that Curtis played a crucial role in the planning of the murder, presenting various motives such as jealousy and revenge. While defence attorneys attempted to argue that the accused were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, Ladd maintained that evidence indicated otherwise, emphasising Curtis’s clear recollection of events on the day of the murder. The defence teams for the accused sought to differentiate between the charges. Barry Hart, representing Lawrence Jerry, insisted that the jury must not let the murder charge against Colin Jerry affect their judgement of Lawrence's actions. Simon Lockhart, representing Curtis, contended that his client acted as a responsible citizen by reporting Lewis's murder, which sparked the police investigation. Lockhart argued that Curtis's immediate reporting of the homicide contradicted the notion of his guilt, while Paul Trehey, representing Colin Jerry, claimed Curtis exploited the Jerry brothers, planning the murder while using them as scapegoats. He described Curtis's statements as unreliable and suggested that the circumstances leading to the murder were convoluted and emotionally charged. As the trial progresses, the jury is tasked with carefully weighing the evidence presented and determining the respective guilt of the accused in this complex case involving personal relationships and potential motives tied to jealousy and betrayal.

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