A jury in the High Court in Napier has found a gang prospect guilty of murdering a central Hawke's Bay agricultural contractor.
Mark McCutcheon, 34, was fatally stabbed outside a hotel in the township of OngaOnga in January last year.
The court heard that Mr McCutcheon earlier intervened in an assault by a patched gang member on his girlfriend, but then grabbed a gun from his ute and threatened to shoot people.
The accused, Hulio Ataria, 23, admitted that he caused Mr McCutcheon's death but said he acted in self-defence.
The Crown argued that Ataria's actions of stabbing the victim three times did not constitute self-defence, or the use of reasonable force.
Ataria was remanded in custody for sentencing on 31 March.
