A jury has found a man who stabbed a dog walker to death at a Christchurch park guilty of murder.
Bailey Messervy, 20, was standing trial at the High Court at Christchurch for the murder of Nigel Wilson, who was found with multiple stab wounds by relatives at Bexley Reserve in November 2022.
He died a week later in hospital.
Some members of the public gallery clapped when the jury delivered its verdict on Wednesday afternoon, rejecting the defence argument that Messervy did not intend to kill the 62-year-old when he stabbed him.
During the trial, Crown prosecutor Mitchell McClenaghan outlined how Wilson was on a routine morning dog walk when he was the victim of a brutal stabbing attack.
"Most days he would get up early, sometime after 4.15am, and take the dog for a walk around Bexley Reserve. And that is just what he did on 14 November 2022. However, that morning Mr Wilson did not return home," he said.
Wilson and Messervy became involved in an argument in which Wilson called out Messervy for driving his vehicle at speed through the reserve, McClenaghan said.
The court heard Wilson shut the gates at the entrance and confronted Messervy, who stabbed Wilson about eight times, with four blows to his abdomen.
The Crown said Messervy's associate, whose name is suppressed, stole Wilson's phone following the assault, leaving him unable to call for help.
Wilson's dog returned home without him, raising the alarm, McClenaghan said.
His relative found him at the reserve.
"He was hunched over the gate. He was able to utter the word 'ambulance' to her," McClenaghan said.
Wilson was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but did not survive as a result of extensive blood loss.
He was taken off life support and died on 22 November 2022.
The Crown's position was that Messervy knew that death could result from his attack, making it a "reckless killing".
Messervy's lawyer, James Rapley KC, said his client accepted he killed Wilson and was guilty of manslaughter, but said he was not guilty of murder.
Messervy reacted out of fear after being confronted by an angry man who blocked his exit at the park, Rapley said.
Rapley said Messervy's associate had said Wilson had jumped out at them in the dark, and they were both shocked and the man had given them a fright.
They believed he had yelled at them because Messervy had been speeding in the park.
Rapley said Bailey then slowed down, and he said this was important because it showed that he did not want any trouble.
The friend then used toilets at the park, and then they headed out.
Rapley said on the way back out they noticed the man had shut the gates out of the park.
"That is they felt they had been locked in ... imagine for a moment how frightening the situation was, locked in and detained by a yelling and shouting Mr Wilson."
Rapley said to find Messervy guilty of murder, the jury would need to accept that Messervy was able to comprehend the consequences of his actions.
Rapley said that when Bailey was confronted by Wilson at the gate, he asked to leave, saying to Wilson "open the f... gate bro, what are you f... playing at".
Rapley said Messervy was reacting in a fast-moving and frightening situation and had used methamphetamine that morning.
He said Messervy had been a methamphetamine user for several years, which was known to make people more paranoid and aggressive.
Rapley said Wilson's death was shocking, senseless and should never have happened, but his client never intended to kill him.
"In the heat of the moment Bailey didn't know what he was doing was likely to cause Mr Wilson to die," he said.
Crown prosecutor Deirdre Elsmore said the court was not dealing with one stab wound, but a sustained attack to the abdomen and back of a vulnerable older man.
The court heard that as Messervy and his associate drove into the reserve at speed Wilson had shouted at them "slow down, dogs walk here".
Elsmore said these were words that were probably yelled in different forms in many cul-de-sacs and quiet roads around New Zealand.
She said Messervy could still be found guilty if he was reckless in whether his actions would cause death.
"If you find that the defendant meant to cause Mr Wilson bodily injury by stabbing him multiple times knowing that by stabbing him multiple times that injury was likely to cause death, and being reckless as to whether he died or not. Reckless to whether death ensued, the Crown would have proved murder," she said.
Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells acknowledged the verdict.
"His family have had to deal with a profound loss, and police have spared no effort to see those involved be held accountable.
"Nigel's family and I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of our community who provided valuable information to assist us with this case from the very start of our investigation."
While a verdict had been reached, Wells said it was just one part of the family's healing process.
"I acknowledge the strength they have shown over the last two years, and while the outcome does not bring Nigel back, the person responsible will be held to account."
Messervy will be sentenced on 11 December.
