A man who was one of the first on the scene after a Waikato publican was gunned down in a robbery more than 30 years said as soon as he saw his friend lying face down on the floor, he knew he was dead, a jury has been told.
Waikato publican Chris Bush was shot dead at the Red Fox Tavern on 24 October 1987.
Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
Father of two Chris Bush, 43, was shot dead at the Red Fox Tavern in Maramarua, northern Waikato, on 24 October 1987.
Mark Hoggart, 60, and another man with name suppression are on trial in the High Court at Auckland, charged with murder and aggravated robbery.
Red Fox Tavern cold case: We told her what had happened as gently as we could
11 Feb, 2021 03:30 AM
4 minutes to read
Police recreation of Red Fox Tavern in 1987. Video / Supplied
The immediate aftermath of the sudden violent Red Fox Tavern hold-up, which became one of New Zealand s most infamous cold cases, has been revisited in court.
Mark Joseph Hoggart, 60, and a man with name suppression are on trial for the aggravated robbery and murder of Maramarua publican Christopher Bush in 1987.
Both of the accused men deny they were the ones that committed the crimes.
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One was armed with a sawn off double-barrelled shotgun and the other with a baseball bat.