The Dominion Post
Last updated 13:52 11/10/2010
Two Upper Hutt men have pleaded not guilty to murdering an Upper Hutt transvestite last year.
Richard Wilton Jones, 64, known as Diksy, was also a small-time cannabis dealer, a jury in the High Court at Wellington was told today.
Mr Jones died on April 29 last year, beaten to death in his Upper Hutt flat.
Neighbours heard a commotion and police arrived soon enough to catch Phillip Christopher Sanders, 42, and David Shaun Galloway, 20, still inside.
Mr Jones died of head injuries but had also suffered other injuries including multiple rib fractures and severe bruising including to his genitals.
Sanders and Galloway pleaded not guilty when their trial for murdering Mr Jones began today.
In brief statements from their lawyers the jury heard that each is blaming the other for inflicting the fatal injuries to Mr Jones.
Opening the Crown case prosecutor Simon Barr said that Sanders had known Mr Jones but had recently fallen out with him after Mr Jones had apparently alleged Sanders had stolen from him.
Mr Jones had also caused trouble for Sanders alleging he was using drugs and had sold some prescription medicine resulting in Sanders' doctor reducing the prescription medicine he received.
Galloway told police he "did not like that sort of thing", referring to Mr Jones being a transvestite and he had gone to the flat to bash Mr Jones, but later he said he just went to buy cannabis.
The trial is expected to last about a month.