UPDATED 5.34pm Quinton Winders has been found guilty of murdering stop-go worker George Taiaroa.

LISTEN ABOVE: Newstalk ZB reporter Sam Carran has been at the trial and spoke with Larry Williams

The jury has just delivered its verdict after 17 hours of deliberation.

The public gallery was full with the families of Winders and Taiaroa as well as Detective Superintendent Tim Anderson who led the investigation into Mr Taiaroa's death.

Mr Taiaroa, 65, was shot and killed as he operated a stop-go sign at roadworks on Tram Rd, Atiamuri in 2013.

Bay of Plenty reporter Sam Carran has been in court.

"It was the single word 'guilty' that ended in huge sighs of relief for George Taiaroa's family. A number of the family members shed tears. Of course, there was contrast as well with Winders' family who gasped in shock at the verdict with Winders' mother Janet breaking down in tears."

The jury were originally going to retire for the weekend and then changed their mind, said Carran. 

"Just at 3.30 when the jury were expected to retire they actually informed the registrar that they had come to a verdict. We were delayed in court while all of the family members of both George Taiaroa and Quinton Winders came back into court."

Detective Superintendent Anderson said it is fair to say the circumstances of this case are very rare.

“I think this case illustrates to me when bad things happen to good people two things happen as a result. Our New Zealand police investigators are world class and from the evidence you’ve seen in court for the last five weeks we’ve seen that.

"Secondly, when we make appeals for witnesses and members of NZ to help resolve these matters, people do come forward - we’ve had over 130 people help us in this case.

Detective Superintendent Anderson stands by his previous remarks that this was a targeted and calculated killing.

“It was definitely a challenging case but made all the more easier due to the co-operation we’ve had from Kiwis across the country and also the co-operation from NZ police across the country... Superb investigative work, extremely diligent, professional, committed and determined and you’ve seen the results of that.

“We have world class investigators in New Zealand. This case shows we never ever give up and we never ever will.”

Winders, 46, previously pleaded not guilty after being arrested and charged with murder in December last year.

Winders' trial lasted five weeks with the jury hearing from more than 150 witnesses, visiting key locations in and around Tram Rd and examining Winders' blue Jeep Cherokee.

Justice Kit Toogood said in his summary it was inconceivable why anyone would want to kill Mr Taiaroa who was "a lovely man by all accounts".

But he urged the jury to not let any sympathies felt towards either the Taiaroa or Winders families influence the outcome.

Winders will reappear in court for sentencing on November 2.

PROSECUTION

Crown solicitor Amanda Gordon argued several crucial things linked Winders to the murder of Mr Taiaroa.

These included his blue Jeep Cherokee, CCTV footage showing Winders could have been at the scene at the right time, his .22 rifle matching what is believed to be the murder weapon, his contact with Mr Taiaroa a week before his death, the fact he lied to police and that he lied to his employer about his whereabouts.

While the Crown's case was circumstantial, "when the evidence is combined it clearly establishes the defendant is the murderer", she said.

Gordon also addressed suggestions by defence lawyer Jonathan Temm that the murder was a case of mistaken identity and another Stop Go worker, Michael Pengelly, was the intended target.

"The Crown suggests you could not get two more different-looking men. Mr Taiaroa was a large Maori who was bald, you have seen Mr Pengelly - he has a small stature with long scraggly hair."

DEFENCE

Jonathan Temm told the court Winders was framed and police ignored certain lines of inquiry and information during the investigation.

Temm said Winders did not know Taiaroa and urged the jury to look at the evidence in a "cool, objective and clinical way".

He explained why he called defence witnesses Aaron Jane and Glenn Law, who shot some of Winders' goats in 2012 and were confronted by an angry Winders with a shotgun on his lap.

"The Crown says this man has a tendency to overreact...The Crown has created that tendency - a personality disorder - to fit with their case. If there was ever a time for [Winders] to display this tendency, it would have been during his dealings with Mr Jane and Mr Law. He did not."

Temm said the Crown case left the jury with "unsolvable uncertainties" and it would not be able to find Winders guilty unless there was no other reasonable hypothesis available.