In addition to the news article below about the death of a Tribesmen “Aotearoa” member alleged to have been killed in a “hot box” incident by his fellow gang members, Matt carried out the defence closings for Te Patukino Biddle. While acknowledging that Te Patukino contributed to the death, he stated that the Crown’s claims of murder are incorrect, as the phone recordings Te Patukino made to a friend soon after the incident show Te Patukino admitting to manslaughter and what he had done. When the Crown submitted that Te Patukino was trying to “soften the blow” by admitting to manslaughter on the phone, Matt questioned their logic, pointing out that it defies common sense that someone would admit to hurting and killing a mutual friend as a means to “soften the blow” of the death. Read the full article here.
Not Guilty at Judge Alone Trial- Receiving property over $1000
After two years of going through the court system, a client was found not guilty at judge alone trial under the assistance of Spencer, who successfully convinced the judge that there was reasonable doubt in the client being reckless in receiving the stolen property.