Two men accused of burning their friend to death on a rural South Auckland road allegedly went on a “spending spree” with his life savings only days after the incident.
22-year-old Bryne Permal and 20-year-old Shivneel Kumar are charged with the murder of former Fiji citizen, Shalvin Prasad after his body was found on January 31st, 2013.
According to the NZ Herald, Crown prosecutor Aaron Perkins said Kumar was “the instigator and driving force” behind the alleged crime.
It is alleged Kumar spent thousands of dollars on his car and paying off various debts almost immediately after the alleged killing and on February 2nd, he and Permal went shopping together.
Perkins said shop records showed they got tattoos, watches and T‑shirts totaling nearly $2000.
All of it was paid for in cash.
Alarm bells initially rang with the deceased, Shalvin Prasad’s family when his father checked his son’s bank account and found $30,050 missing on January 30th.
The 21‑year‑old’s smoldering body was found early the next day by a woman walking her dog.
Police were able to identify the victim only after analysing fingerprints and pathologists were almost certain the man had been alive when doused in petrol and set alight.
On the day of his death, it is alleged the victim withdrew his entire savings, for which the Crown says he was ultimately killed.
CCTV footage shows that Kumar met Prasad on the afternoon of January 30th and he was outside the Manukau bank when the victim withdrew the large sum.
Prasad played football that evening and just after 8pm left the house, telling his father he would be home in two hours.
At 10.30pm CCTV showed Kumar pulling up at a petrol station, where his co-accused bought 15 litres of petrol.
Perkins said the jury would be played a recording in which the men discussed the importance of using their phones carefully and how they should act if questioned by police.
The trial before Justice Geoffrey Venning and a jury of six women and six men is expected to last four weeks.
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