A Mongols defence lawyer says the reliability and accuracy of a key Crown witness was a bit like the first time he tried candyfloss; highly anticipated but a “grave disappointment”.

Ron Mansfield KC, who is acting for vice-president Hone Ronaki, told a jury in the High Court at Hamilton that the witness, although highly anticipated, has proven to be a “grave disappointment”, a bit like the first time he tried candyfloss as a youngster.

Mansfield used his own upbringing as an analogy to describe the reliability of the evidence of the Crown’s key witness; just like candyfloss at the Waimate A&P Show.

After winning first prize for his calf, George, at the show and pocketing $30, he said he headed straight for the candyfloss stand to finally try the sweet treat.

“I found that as soon as I breathed on it, it started to disappear in my hand.

“Then, I bit into it and it basically dissolved.

“What I thought was going to be a good experience … turned out to be a grave disappointment.

“What I’m going to suggest is [key witness] evidence is just like candyfloss. On first glance it looks good and is highly promoted by the vendor, namely the NZ Police and the Crown.

“But when you see it tested and see through cross-examination breath being blown on it, that evidence, you see it disappear.”

Mansfield said as soon as the witness was questioned by the defence, the inconsistencies were uncovered, revealing it to be “just hot air”.

“But when you bit into it even more ... it just disappeared even further.”

Mansfield said his client readily admitted to dealing in methamphetamine and cannabis, but only in grams and ounces.

The key witness claims it was kilograms, the “big time”.

“This is not some sideshow, this is the big tent. He was in the main arena and involved in kilogram deals.

“Here he is talking about this Silk Rd from Auckland to Te Puke to down south, and he amps it up, folks.”

He urged the jury to simply look at the evidence, especially the testimony of the witness, and the inconsistencies will jump out at them.

Mansfield, who described the Mongols as a club rather than a “gang” as it was less prejudicial, added that there were individual members who did break the law, but Ronaki had already admitted his involvement in drug dealing and firearm possession.

What was also in dispute was who was involved in the shootings, as the evidence from the witness was also unreliable and mainly about his own life.

“He wasn’t a good Samaritan. He wasn’t working at the Salvation Army or a foodbank. He was part of the Mongols.

“He could give you that detail because that was his life.

“Where is the evidence, folks?”

Mansfield submitted that apart from their intercepted communications, in which Ronaki implicated himself, there was no other evidence corroborating what the witness was saying.

If what the witness has claimed was true, going by the charges, he had identified 12kg of meth that Ronaki is implicated with.

That equated to a minimum of $1.5m if sold in kilograms.

“That’s a lot of loot to be swimming around out there there. There’s absolutely no evidence before you dealing of that grand scale.

“Every lawyer wants to say, show me the money and we certainly can say that in this trial.”

Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield has told a jury they can't believe the evidence of a key crown witness. Photo / Claire Eastham-Farrelly, RNZ

As for Ronaki and Thacker being charged for simply being the vice-president and president respectively of the club, he dubbed that “absurd”.

“This is not an incorporated company.

“There’s no such thing when it comes to clubs, whether lawful or unlawful.

“Ronaki is responsible for what he has participated in, what he has done.

“Just knowing someone in the club is doing something unlawful doesn’t make you liable for what they’re doing.

 “You have to encourage it or assist, they call it aiding and abetting, it has to be something that you buy into.

“You have to buy in specifically to that agreement.”

He also touched on Ronaki’s ‘Gucci’ bag, which he submitted was a cheap knock-off, and how he didn’t use a cipher phone, instead a normal cellphone that was able to be tapped by police.

“This old school gangster with the fake Gucci bag, living at No.2 [Rd], was sadly not sophisticated.

“He was chatting away to his heart’s content about his drug dealing transactions which were taking place.

“Sad for him, but perhaps good for the community.”

The defendants

Nine Mongols members, including Thacker – known as “JD”, “Jack Daniels”, “the Cap”, or “el Presidente” who allegedly had overarching control of its drug dealing operation – and vice-president Hone Ronaki are defending about 90 charges related to drug dealing and supply, firearms, aggravated robbery, and money laundering.

The other defendants are Jason Ross, 46, Kelly Petrowski, 28, Matthew Ramsden, 45, Kane Ronaki, 24, Te Reneti Tarau, 26, and a 28-year-old man with interim name suppression.

The accused are either “office holders”, members, or associates of the Mongols from around the country, including Hawke’s Bay, Christchurch, and Auckland.

- Belinda Feek, Open Justice