Murdertrialhearsofrepeatedpolicesearches

• Published date: 23 June 2022
• Publication title: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

Evidence was also gathered from radio access network (RAN) data obtained through phones as well as surveillance monitoring (bugging) at Graham’s address, jurors heard yesterday as the trial before Justice Gerald Nation in the High Court at Invercargill continued

It is alleged Mr Watene (40) was murdered at Graham’s Otautau home on April 16, and Hyde is accused of aiding in disposing of the body between April 16 and 27.

At the start of the trial last week, Graham’s counsel Sarah Saunderson-Warner said Mr Watene had been shot at Graham’s home but it was not done on purpose or with murderous intent.

Through counsel Fiona Guy Kidd QC, Hyde admitted he disposed of the body, but said he did not know Mr Watene had been murdered.

On Tuesday, Detective Dougall Henderson said police first came across the Longwood Forest site of Mr Watene’s shallow grave on May 1, finding it covered in bricks, mortar, tin flashings, a car tyre, rusty bin and wallpaper.

At the time they believed someone had just dumped the material there.

Volunteer searchers alerted police to the same area on May 16, 2020, saying the ground at the site was soft.

However, a police dog with cadaver training did not detect the presence of a body, he said.

Knowing Hyde had bricks, mortar and roof flashings at his property, police decided to go back to the site to investigate further on May 18, 2020.

Yesterday, Det Henderson told the court that at 2.14pm on May 18, Detective Sergeant Dave Kennelly unearthed what appeared to be a bare human foot less than 30cm under the surface.

‘‘We gently removed sufficient soil and clay from around the foot to ensure that what we located was definitely a foot and not an animal part,’’ he said.

A forensic examination of the site was carried out two days later and the body was exhumed.

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