John Kenneth Collins' counsel said he killed 45-year-old Brent Andrew Bacon "in the heat of the moment" and, critically, only because he feared for his life. Brent Bacon died on February 4, 2019, at a state housing unit in Lock St, St Clair. Collins, who opted to give evidence, claimed the victim had become paranoid about someone following him over a drug debt. It was a story Collins cooked up at trial to justify his violent outburst as self-defence and one the jury clearly rejected. After killing Bacon, Collins and Dawson bundled his body into a sleeping bag, loaded it into the dead man's Toyota people mover and quickly fled north.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 01, 2021 18:34 UTC