The mother of a man convicted of trying to hire a hitman to kill her and his father is happy he has been found guilty, case head Detective Logan Nicholas says.
Alan Barlow, who is charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill his parents. Photo: RNZ / Natalie Mankelow
Alan Barlow has been found guilty of trying to hire a hitman to kill his parents.
Barlow, 43, on trial in the High Court at Rotorua, had denied one charge of procuring an undercover police officer to murder his parents last October.
A jury today took only a few hours to find him guilty - a verdict Mr Nicholas said Barlow's mother was happy with.
"It's been an incredibly stressful and traumatic period for Mr and Mrs Barlow senior to go through, knowing that their son, whom they loved and cared for, wished them dead and went to some (lengths) to arrange their murders," he said.
Activist Daniel Ryder tipped off the police that Barlow was trying to hire a hitman, after Barlow asked him to do it.
Barlow had approached Mr Ryder saying he needed to organise something to happen to his parents - and that was to kill them. He offered him $150,000 to do it but Mr Ryder instead went to the police.
He said after the verdict today he had no sympathy for Barlow.
"Couldn't figure out why he would approach me. In a way I was happy that he came to me instead of going to someone else."
Mr Ryder said Barlow's mother had thanked him for keeping the family safe.
In her closing address for the Crown today, lawyer Hayley Sheridan told the jury Mr Barlow was motivated by money.
Supporters of Alan Barlow react to the guilty verdict outside the High Court at Rotorua. Photo: RNZ / Natalie Mankelow
She said he made a deliberate and prolonged attempt to murder his parents, by having contact with the undercover officer several times, and the only thing that got in the way was his inability to scrape together the deposit for the $20,000 fee that was agreed.
But Barlow's defence lawyer, Craig Tuck, said the tone of his client's voice during covert police recordings showed there was not sufficient intention to hire a hitman.
The court was yesterday shown a video recording of Barlow's meeting with the undercover officer, where the person the Crown said was Barlow nodded when asked if he wanted both of his parents killed.
In the subsequent police interview video, Barlow said he only said "mmmmm", which he claimed was neither "yes" nor "no".
Barlow was involved in a dispute with his parents over the ownership of a house. In the police interview he said it was in his interests that they were alive and paying the bills.
Barlow was remanded in custody for sentencing on 26 September.
