The gunman who has been found guilty of murder after shooting two men in a Papakura street pointed his gun at the men because he thought they were his friends.
Police at the scene where the men were shot Photo: RNZ/Tom Furley
Isaac Broughton was today found guilty in the High Court in Auckland of murdering 26-year-old Shon Wanahi and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Bunji Fenton.
The court was told Broughton pointed a shotgun at the two men, near the Papakura train station in March last year, before getting into his car.
When they ran at him and punched him through the open window, he fired two shots, killing Mr Wanahi and leaving Mr Fenton seriously injured.
Broughton's lawyers argued he acted in self-defence but today, after deliberating for over a day, a jury found him guilty of murder and causing grievous bodily harm.
The court was told how Broughton was out driving with two friends in Papakura in March last year when they pulled over near the railway station.
He got out of the car, armed with a sawn-off shotgun, and challenged the four men after he had mistaken them for a group of his friends.
Mr Fenton later told the court he and his friends chose to run at Broughton. When asked why, he responded: "I'd rather do that then get shot in the back."
Broughton had got back in his car by the time Mr Fenton reached him.
Mr Fenton leaned through the open window and landed a few punches before the first shot went off, getting him in the right bicep.
The second shot, fired moments later, hit Mr Wanahi in the back. Mr Wanahi died later in Middlemore Hospital.
Broughton's lawyers had argued he acted in self-defence as the two men attacked him through the open window.
They also suggested that Broughton might have been trying to fire a warning shot.
However, Crown prosecutor Evan McCaughan said Mr Fenton was leaning through the window and, on Mr Fenton's evidence, he had the top part of his body inside the car.
Mr McCaughan said it would not be possible to fire a shot past a person leaning through the window.
He said using a firearm against two unarmed men was out of all proportion to the level of threat he faced.
Broughton will be sentenced next month.
