The trial before Judge Kiri Tahana entered its third day today and the jury heard from witnesses including a police officer, a meal service volunteer and the friend, Joanne Shortland.<\/p>\n
Shortland told the jury she stayed with Eddy at her campsite the night after Kennedy died. <\/p>\n
She said she saw something under what she thought was a tarpaulin.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking at the tarpaulin and I said, \u2018what\u2019s under there?\u2019, and I can\u2019t remember what she [Eddy] said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortland said when she went to leave the campsite to go for a \u201cwee wee\u201d, Eddy said to her: \u201cDon\u2019t go up there, you might find a dead body\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cI took it as a joke,\u201d Shortland said.<\/p>\n
Detective Joel Potaka gave evidence that he interviewed Eddy at the scene on the day of her arrest. <\/p>\n
Potaka said she told him that she had been raped before and had tried to tell police on several occasions.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI have told you they have been raping me. You don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like being a single woman living on the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n
She went on to say she strangled Kennedy because he was trying to touch her, which shocked her because he was her friend.<\/p>\n
Potaka said she said: \u201cI don\u2019t care anymore because now I am going to jail and I will be safe from all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her video interview with police, she gave more detail.<\/p>\n
She said Kennedy was staying with her at her campsite. She went into the tent in the early hours of the morning and found him masturbating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, \u2018don\u2019t do that, you are my friend and I don\u2019t want to see that\u2019. He said, \u2018come join me\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eddy said they got into a \u201cheated argument\u201d because Kennedy knew she had been abused before. She said he wouldn\u2019t take no for an answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI simply got angry because I\u2019ve been through a lot in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gate P\u0101 Reserve, where Ross Kennedy’s body was found in October 2024. Photo \/ Sandra Conchie<\/p>\n
She said she got out of the tent to get away from it but then sat on him through the tent, and it came down around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was screaming at him, \u2018Rossco stop it, why are you doing this, you have never gone like that\u2019. Then I turned around and stood up because he stopped moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicholas Scullin, a volunteer at a dinner service for the homeless in Tauranga called Under The Stars, gave evidence about his interaction with Eddy on October 4, hours after Kennedy is believed to have died.<\/p>\n
Scullin said he noticed she looked sad, so he asked if she was okay. Eddy told him she had strangled Kennedy and killed him because he had stolen $200 off her and she was sick of people taking things off her.<\/p>\n
Scullin said he hugged Eddy to show compassion and told her to talk to her lawyer and go to police.<\/p>\n
He said he didn\u2019t sleep well that night, but did not ring police because he was not sure if it was just a \u201cstory\u201d Eddy had told.<\/p>\n
Bill Nabney, who is representing Eddy with Rita Nabney, indicated in an opening address on Monday that the defence would question whether Eddy caused Kennedy\u2019s death, and whether she meant to do so.<\/p>\n
Richard Jensen and Emily O\u2019Brien are appearing for the Crown.<\/p>\n
The trial is expected to last two weeks.<\/p>\n