Murder accused was in a state of delusional jealousy - Crown

1:43 pm on 26 October 2017

A man on trial for murdering two men at an Auckland pawn shop was in a state of delusional jealousy when he killed them, says the Crown.

Zarn Tarapata at the High Court in Auckland.

Zarn Tarapata at the High Court in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Nita Blake-Persen

Zarn Tarapata believed the men were having an affair with his partner or sexually exploiting her, the High Court in Auckland was told.

Mr Tarapata has pleaded not guilty to murdering 69-year-old Paul Fanning and 47-year-old Paul Matthews at the Ezy Cash store in Takanini in July 2014.

Crown prosecutor Richard Marchant has told the court how Mr Tarapata stabbed both men in the kitchen behind the store while his partner was in the front of the shop and his children were in the car outside.

Mr Marchant said Mr Tarapata will say he was insane at the time but the case does not meet the legal requirements of insanity.

The prosecutor said the legal definition of insanity was more than having hallucinations, paranoia or schizophrenia, despite Mr Tarapata having all of those conditions.

But Mr Tarapata's lawyer Jonathan Krebs said it was not the dark ages and in a first world country it was recognised that people could be insane, due to a disease of the mind.

He said it was accepted by psychiatrists that his client had schizophrenia at the time.

The defendant later told medical professionals that he had been receiving messages from God.

Mr Krebs said the only issue would be whether Mr Tarapata appreciated what he had done was morally wrong.