Police searching an area known as Bortons Pond on the Waitaki River. Photo: Supplied / Police
Warning: This story contains content some may find disturbing.
A former roommate of Anaru Moana has recounted details of a violent beating he endured by a group of attackers searching for the South Canterbury man to the High Court.
Hayden Burt, Aaron Boden and siblings Cody and Korina Boyes are on trial for Moana's murder in front of Justice Christine Gordon.
A fifth person, Joseph Cropley, denies related charges of kidnapping and injuring with intent.
Moana disappeared in December 2021 and his body has never been found.
On Wednesday, the second day of proceedings in Christchurch, arguments surrounding the Crown's case of how the 37-year-old was killed were disputed by counsel for the four murder-accused.
Prosecutors insisted Moana was lured to a reserve near Waimate and ambushed, the supposed victim of a revenge attack.
In September 2021, Moana stole a bag full of methamphetamine and cash out of Burt's car near the Warehouse store in Oamaru.
An associate and former roommate of Moana, Heremaia Repia-King, was in the car with Moana that day.
Now in custody, he was called as a Crown witness, where he was asked about his relationship with Moana.
Repia-King said the pair were not good friends and that he played no part in the theft.
"What was I meant to do. I pretty much told him you need to return that sh*t."
He was later told by Moana that the matter "had been sorted".
Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae pressed him for details about an assault that took place after Repia-King was confronted and hauled into the backseat of a car by an unknown group of masked attackers.
His hands were cable tied together as the assault continued in the car, including being punched and elbowed to the head, Repia-King told McRae.
"All I was asked was; 'where the f**k is your mate Anaru?'"
The court heard he sustained small stab wounds on his forearm and thigh, after one of the attackers took Repia-King's stanley knife.
Repia-King was warned he owed $60,000 and had 16 weeks to pay it.
He was later dropped in a gravel pit "in either Weston or Maheno".
Repia-King did not remember who attacked him or the descriptions he initially gave to the police.
Before testimonies began, defence lawyers for the five defendants delivered opening statements.
Burt's laywer Simon Shamy said significant aspects of the Crown case were incorrect.
"Mr Burt agrees that he was at Kelcey's Bush on the morning of 20 December 2021 when Anaru died. He agrees that he was involved in the disposal of Anaru's body," he said.
"However Hayden did not kill Anaru, and he did not seriously assault him.
"His defence is that he had no intention or purpose that Anaru would be killed, or assaulted in the way."
Another of the accused, Boden admitted he was guilty of manslaughter, but not murder.
His lawyer Sarah Saunderson-Warner told the jury not every death was a murder.
"He accepts that he was involved in an unlawful act that led to Mr Moana's death. He accepts that he was at Kelcey's Bush and that Mr Moana died there," she said.
"It does not mean that he is the one who killed Mr Moana. But he does accept that he was part of what happened that ultimately led to Mr Moana passing away."
The jury heard on Tuesday of how Korina Boyes dropped her brother Cody - who was armed - at Kelceys Bush.
Defence lawyer Tiffany McRae said her client did have a firearm, but that it played "no substantive role in what happened".
The trial resumes on Thursday.
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