Karen Wright appeared before Acting Judge Neil McLauchlan and the 12-member jury panel yesterday as one of three witnesses called in the trial of 38-year-old Darrell John Wright.

Mr Wright is facing a charge of recklessly discharging a firearm in relation to the shootings, which date back to November 13, 2004.

Mrs Wright yesterday told the court that she and her husband were separated at the time and that Mr Wright had lived at various addresses.

At the time, he was living at a Mogriguy property, which at a later date was also peppered with bullets.

She said the day after the alleged offences, she drove to the property to see Mr Wright.

It is then that Mr Wright told her that the owner of the property had been involved in a fight at the Rebels clubhouse the previous evening.

A few days later she heard about the shootings at the clubhouse and at the Rebels’ president’s house.

“I asked Darrell if he was involved and he told me he had gone home and gone to bed,” she said.

Mrs Wright gave her evidence after the court had previously heard from another occupant of the Mogriguy property.

Daisy Phillips admitted that she had lied in police statements to protect her partner Raymond Grant, who was involved in the scuffle at the Rebels clubhouse.

But she maintained she had some vivid memories of the night, including that she saw Mr Wright load a magazine into the shortened SKS rifle believed to be used in the shootings.

Under cross-examination from defence barrister Eric Wilson, Ms Phillips defended some of her memories of the evening.

“I put it to you that Darrell (Wright) didn’t leave the house that night,” he said.

“I saw him go out the door but I don’t know where he went,” was her reply.

When asked about her memory of seeing Mr Wright load the rifle, she said “you’re not going to forget someone loading an ugly looking gun in your living room”.

Raymond Grant, who was involved in the altercation at the Rebels clubhouse, was called to give evidence and under questioning from the Crown Prosecutor told the court that the following morning Mr Wright had admitted performing the shootings.

Mr Grant said that he had been angered by the confession as he knew people from the Rebels and attended the clubhouse every couple of weeks.

When Mr Wilson started the cross-examination, it was revealed that Mr Grant had not had a chance to look at statements he had made to police over a period of time so Acting Judge McLauchlan adjourned early “in fairness to the witness”.

The trial will resume at 10am today.

ben.walker@ruralpress.com