Two young men on trial for killing an older gay man say their victim was “obsessed” with them.
Leonard Nattrass-Berquist and Beauen Wallace-Loretz (pictured) have been accused of murdering 54-year-old Ihaia “Sunny” Gillman-Harris with a baseball bat inside an Auckland motel room after he allegedly offered them $1,000 for sex.
The incident happened in December 2014. According to court documents, Gillman-Harris met and exchanged texts with the teens, who were both 18 at the time, just days before his death. He offered them rides around town and would buy them cigarettes and alcohol. At some point, he suggested the three of them get a motel room together.
Related: Man Arrested For Hate Crime Murder Of His Gay Son
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“Sunny’s obsession was to get those boys in the motel,” the young men’s lawyer, Murray Gibson, told a New Zealand court this week. “He hardly knew these boys at all. He’d only known them for a matter of days. (It was) an obsessional approach to isolating them, getting them on their own.”
A few days after Christmas, Gillman-Harris booked a motel room for himself, Nattrass-Berquist and Beauen Wallace-Loretz. While checking in, he told the front desk clerk the young men were his nephews. According to prosecutor David Johnstone, “He anticipated consensual, albeit paid-if-necessary, sexual relations. (The two accused) were aware of what he wanted.”
Johnstone added that Gillman-Harris a “non-confrontation, not aggressive man” who were merely seeking “to befriend these two defendants.”
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But the young men argue otherwise. While they admit to assaulting Gillman-Harris, they say it was in self-defense after he tried to rape one of them once they got up to the room.
Prosecutors, however, believe the killing was premeditated. A series of texts between the two young men appear to show them discussing a plan to attack and possibly kill Gillman-Harris. In one of the messages, Nattrass-Berquist tells Wallace-Loretz he’s going to “fuck a gay cunt up.” Another makes reference to bringing a baseball bat to the motel room.
Gibson argued that his clients never had access to a baseball bat, though prosecutors said CCTV cameras at the motel show Wallace-Loretz sneaking what appears to be a bat into the room.
The trial continues.
DCguy
I love the way the lawyer for the killers is screaming that he hardly knew them and it’s that disgusting?!?!
But he leaves out the part that these two were getting rides and taking money and alcohol and cigarettes from somebody THEY hardly knew.
ted72
A simple, “No thank you!” would have sufficed. Or a more passionate no, “Fuck no! That’s gross, you nasty old bag!”
Killing the dude? Completely messed up and they have a murderous streak in them – should be locked away forever in a dark and damp place with insect infestations. Not because they murdered a gay man, because they murdered a person.
Stache
Kind of hard to use the BS.. “gay panic defense” when they’ve got you recorded planning out the attack along with the weapon you planned to use that you say you never brought.
This was premeditated murder. Simple as that.
Stache
Oh and $1,000 for those two?? I guess some people like em young and that’s enough.
Caleb in SC
The “gay panic” defense is alive and well. What the hell did these adults, yes, ADULTS, think they were going to do with the guy in a motel room? Calling bullshit on those two fucktards.
Bob LaBlah
@Stache: Doesn’t this sort of reminds you of the Michael Sandy case of 2006? He was the poor guy who got chased onto the Brooklyn Parkway, hit by a car and although he was killed instantly his killers drug his dead body back onto the grassy area and rifled thru his pockets (looking for a notification card who to call in case of emergency perhaps?) but it was not ruled a hate crime. I no longer try to understand people. They are all fucked in the head when it comes to prosecuting murderous children.
What if find interesting is how no picture of the victim is present. The man is dead, so what’s the problem in showing his picture? I bet he was a lonely old guy and they were little “angels” while plotting this guys demise all along. I’m also willing to bet he looked nothing like them either, if you get my drift. Why else all the b/s, especially with video evidence of this “child” carrying a baseball bat into the room?
Stache
@Bob LaBlah: I don’t blame their defense team though. That’s what they’re paid to do.
A very soft guy in his 50s vs two strapping teens. You bet there’s a big difference. I think where were talking about the barely legals the gay panic defense might still have some legs though. Without video and audio evidence to counter their claims it probably would’ve worked. Juries are still very homophobic. Especially, when it comes to kids.
Stache
@Bob LaBlah: Btw. I testified in a case like this in a town (outside of San Francisco) in 1998. The guy was a cold blooded killer. However, he was 17 and cute. The other guy that he killed was gay and in his 30’s. He killed him for coming on to him.
Totally acquitted him. Afterwards the jury talked about how this kid could be their son and how handsome he was. The gay guy deserved it for making the move on him was the unspoken truth.
That trial showed me how the real world works.
Stache
The kicker was this kid already had a mile long rap sheet and was wanted for a violent assault on an old man while committing an armed robbery.
Bob LaBlah
@Stache: Wow! If you can could you please post a link to that story? Thanks.
Stache
@Bob LaBlah: Here’s the story. I think it’s an interesting read besides just the murder. Kind of points the finger at the gay community too.
http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/panic-or-attack/Content?oid=2136045
He got paroled in 2008 from the Robbery charge. I always wonder about Josh. He was gay himself but just never accepted it at the time.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3575
Stache
@Bob LaBlah: Damn. Time sure flies. Seems like yesterday I knew this kid. Now he’s pushing 40 himself. Life is short…:(
Stache
@Stache: Actually 36 but still time flies.
Bob LaBlah
@Stache: Now this is between you and I, ok…………………..down here, we say “he ain’t nothing to write home to momma about.” I looked at his then and now photos on a google search and would stand by that local statement regardless of whether it was then or now. I keep telling every one to beware of that “innocent looking twink” look and never forget that you don’t know a damn thing about the people you are trying to hook up with nor what THEIR intentions really are. Regardless of how good it looks never drop your guard. It looks like he and a pipe (you know what I mean) are no stranger to each other. Then nor now.
Daniel-Reader
And yet they voluntarily went to the motel? What kind of person goes to a motel with someone they dislike – if not to harm them?
Brian
Homphobia is very prevalent in New Zealand despite its image of a carefree society. Propaganda eventually is exposed to be just that – propaganda.
Transiteer
Just hang the little b*stards – but after a suitable amount of time in prison so they can lose virginity!
Poncho Sanchez
Let’s hope the jury didn’t recently see the film “Spotlight”.
spemat
I am not going to play the Devil’s advocate here but let’s not pretend we haven’t seen old creepers like that in the communities. I have encountered 3 myself and one got kicked in the face for groping me and people usually mock and laugh at them. What if they are correct?? Does that matter then?? are you all so delusional that you don’t care of any of these kids were in danger. If these were women, you’d be standing right next to your breeder fully fag hagged and ready to go, while she screams NO WOMAN DESERVES TO GO TO JAIL”. I think kids can be evil but stop the denial. There is no actual correlation between heterosexuality or homosexuality and pedophilia despite the rates. I am only stating this because I have seen this and it looks totally familiar.
Bob LaBlah
@spemat: Go back and reread the article. A series of text messages prove premeditated murder. Are you sure it wasn’t you who got kicked in the head and left it untreated?