Richard Mathew Coburn is on trial for the murder of his partner Paige Tutemahurangi on July 1, 2023.
Coburn admitted to assaulting Tutemahurangi but pleaded not guilty to murder, with his defense arguing for manslaughter.
According to a report in legacy media outlet NZ Herald, Coburn assaulted Tutemahurangi after an argument. He then cleaned her wounds and changed her clothes before calling emergency services and trying CPR.
The prosecution presented evidence of the severity of Tutemahurangi’s injuries, including multiple impact sites on her head and a fractured nose, with pathologist Dr Kilak Kesha suggesting she was alive for at least 30 minutes after the assault but ultimately succumbed to brain death caused by a lack of blood supply.
Earlier evidence was also give describing the couple’s previous arguments, the details of Coburn’s actions on the day of the incident, and forensic analysis of the crime scene.
Closing submissions are expected Wednesday followed by summing up by Justice Mary Peters.
