But Ron Mansfield, appearing in Auckland today for Baillie, said the trial judge gave insufficient guidance to jurors about the quality of evidence from Crown witnesses. "On the defence theory, she was a known drug user, had used drugs intravenously in that form," Mansfield said. Mansfield said many trial witnesses were involved in drug use and to some extent, drug dealing. Morgan and Baillie were convicted in Nelson on the basis Baillie suffocated Harris while Morgan assisted or encouraged the suffocation. He said the trial judge was correct to find the Crown drew on multiple strands of circumstantial evidence.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 12, 2021 02:15 UTC