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Graeme Burton found guilty of attempted murder

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Thu, 12 Nov 2009 3:50p.m.

Graeme Burton is serving a life sentence, with a minimum non-parole period of 26 years | Source: NZ Herald

Graeme Burton is serving a life sentence, with a minimum non-parole period of 26 years | Source: NZ Herald

Double-killer Graeme Burton was found guilty this afternoon of attempting to murder a fellow prison inmate last year.

A jury of seven men and five women at the High Court in Auckland found that Burton attempted to kill Dwayne Marsh at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo on December 20 last year.

They returned with their verdict about 3.45pm after a day and a half of deliberation.

Burton stabbed Marsh several times with a sharpened steel rod in a corridor outside the cells in Paremoremo.

One of these stab wounds, to the heart, caused injuries that required emergency hospital surgery to save Marsh's life.

Security camera footage shown to jurors during this week's trial showed Burton entering Marsh's cell. Marsh was seen backing out of the cell shortly afterwards, pursued by Burton.

Burton was seen pursuing Marsh up and down the corridor three times, with an object in each hand.

Marsh was eventually pulled out of the corridor by security guards. He was escorted to the prison medical centre, where his eyes were seen to roll backwards and it was only the intervention of a guard that prevented him from falling to the floor.

Jurors went out at 10.10am yesterday and an hour later viewed the security camera footage again in court.

In the afternoon they asked to see the top Marsh was wearing when he was attacked.

Today the jury again twice watched the security camera footage of the incident.

The Crown said Burton's actions clearly showed he intended to kill Marsh.

Burton's lawyer Peter Tomlinson said Burton may have intended to injure Marsh but there was a reasonable doubt as to whether there was an intention to kill.

Details of Burton's criminal history were suppressed during the three-day trial but can be released following today's verdict.

Burton is serving a life sentence, with a minimum non-parole period of 26 years, for the murder of Lower Hutt man Karl Kuchenbecher in January 2007 while he was on parole.

He had previously served 14 years for the stabbing murder of Paul Anderson outside a Wellington nightclub in 1992.

NZPA
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Comments

19 Feb 2010 10:09p.m.

Tracey Moore wrote:

That guy is a waste of oxygen,pity his parents did nt bother with contraception.Paul Anderson was a really nice guy...that toe rag is beyond rehabillitation...He has had enough opportunity to mend his mind but he has just carried on like a mad pelican,time and time again

15 Nov 2009 02:04p.m.

kirstie wrote:

so because he doesnt cry on the stand he doent care?
get a life every one thinks about what they do in there own time and there own way
your brother is a dodgy drug dealer and what makes him better than a murderer?
no cos how many people die from drugs?
get a life

14 Nov 2009 10:44a.m.

joel wrote:

aint nothing wrong with grey bear, you guys moan cos he took out a gang memeber. the police kill maore people a year than graeme but nobody ever look bad at them. theres way worse crimes for people to ficus on ou the like people said its not as sick as other things out there

13 Nov 2009 04:03p.m.

glen wrote:

good question cherie..im dwaynes sister and i asked correction the same thing and was told it was inhumane..
please, the guards are scared of him and what he will do ..give us a brake..id rather he dragged him self around on the floor to get around,,and as for you kristie i sat through trail and watched burton and he had no emotion what so ever ,just a blank stare and the occoasional yawn or scratch of the head,,even while watching the cctv footage there was nothing,,hes not the one who needs to be given a brake we are,,ha

13 Nov 2009 10:04a.m.

kirstie wrote:

do u actually know him in person? i do as do a few of my close friends,I would like people to know there is more to this man then the media let out.every one makes mistakes and he is paying for his.i dont see other convicted murders getting the same abuse as graeme does yet one murderer stabbed his girlfriend 100s of times and another one had sex with his victims once they were dead.
isnt time people moved on from this?? at the end of the day he will still be in jail where he is going to be for a very long time

12 Nov 2009 07:16p.m.

Ness wrote:

Oh leave him alone you too. Id like to see ur future generation be in his right of mind hung or injected! Have mercy MAN!

12 Nov 2009 04:19p.m.

Brian wrote:

Pity we can't have this idiot put out of its misery. He's worse than a rabid dog that would have been instantly shot but he will fester - at our expense - until yet again it will attack some other poor "B" and again cost us huge $'s to put it on trial again. Enough is enough. Bring back the death penalty for those proven not to have the right to live and blight this earth.

12 Nov 2009 04:01p.m.

cherie wrote:

Take his wheels and sticks off him and see how he gets on.