One of the men accused of shooting 33 of his neighbour's dogs admitted to police that "things got a little out of hand'', a court has heard.
Senior Constable Barry Rose told the court that he talked to Russell Mendoza, shortly after the shooting in January, 2010.
Mendoza appeared distraught, he said, and admitted to using two rifles to shoot the 33 dogs with a friend he identified only as "Tussock''.
Mr Rose said Mendoza told him that the pair picked up the puppies and shot them through the head.
"He admits he got a little out of hand when shooting the dogs in the cage.''
Mendoza and Tony Campbell are on trial in Auckland District Court, accused of a "commando exercise'' in which 33 of Rowan Hargreaves' dogs were shot dead on a rural property near Wellsford.
The pair have denied four charges of wilfully ill-treating an animal and firearms charges.
Under cross-examination from Campbell's lawyer, Barry Hart, Mr Rose said he found 61 spent .22 cartridges and seven 12 gauge shotgun cartridges.
"It sounded a little unusual - the number of cartridges for the number of dogs dispatched.''
Mendoza's lawyer Joe Koppens said his client will maintain that he shot only one dog with a gun that he was handed by Mr Hargraves' friend.
Mr Rose said: "I always believed Mr Mendoza was - call it what you like - small-fry in the incident.''
Mr Rose confirmed that Campbell later indicated Mendoza had shot only one dog.
Crown prosecutor Joshua Shaw told the court earlier in the week that Mendoza organised the shooting because he believed his dog had been mauled by a dog belonging to Mr Hargreaves, a neighbour.
The trial before Judge Mary Beth Sharp alone, continues.
