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Shot man's last words: 'Of course it's loaded, you stupid slut'

Author
NZ Newswire,
Publish Date
Tue, 17 Oct 2017, 12:32PM
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Shot man's last words: 'Of course it's loaded, you stupid slut'

Author
NZ Newswire,
Publish Date
Tue, 17 Oct 2017, 12:32PM

A Hamilton woman has admitted to killing her life-long friend by accidentally shooting him after a prolonged drinking session.

Tiffani Sutcliffe asked if the gun was loaded, then pulled the trigger before she got a reply.

"Of course it's loaded, you stupid slut," Rhys Williamson replied, as he fell to the ground.

Sutcliffe, 23, on Tuesday admitted to the manslaughter of a life-long friend, 40-year-old Mr Williamson, who was killed when she pointed and fired a gun at him, assuming it was empty.

Mr Williamson died at his home on Seddon Road, Frankton, in May this year, before help could arrive.

A summary of facts for the case reveals Sutcliffe concealed the gun in a towel and hid it in the driveway, before moving Mr Williamson's body to the front of the property and dialling 111.

The man who brought the gun to the house, Anthony Clegg, evaded police for two weeks before being arrested and admitting to unlawful possession of a firearm, later being sentenced to two years' jail

On the night of the incident, Sutcliffe, her girlfriend and Clegg had been drinking and taking the drug GHB and withdrew to the bedroom for sex when they were disturbed by Mr Williamson, who was holding the gun, according to the summary.

As he "played around" with the weapon, Sutcliffe took it from him and pointed it from two metres away.

"She asked if it was loaded and almost immediately pulled the trigger," the summary said.

He told her it was, and then fell.

Sutcliffe's story changed several times afterwards, police said.

Initially she said it was a modified weapon that killed her friend, before changing her story to say Mr Williamson owned the gun himself.

The summary said in her first interview with police, Sutcliffe also blamed officers for the death.

"I'm pretty sure there is some malpractice here, my bro died cause you (expletive) around getting here," she said.

Sutcliffe claimed to have called emergency services straight away.
She will return to the High Court at Hamilton on November 23 to be sentenced.

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