Chozyn Koroheke's killer tells court he only bought gun a week before

A man on trial for the murder of an Auckland mother has admitted to pulling the trigger of the shotgun that killed her.

Turiarangi Tai accepted he's guilty of the manslaughter of Chozyn Koroheke but said he didn't shoot her intentionally.

Under cross examination by Crown prosecutor Mark Williams, Turiarangi Tai admitted he pulled the trigger, but said it wasn't intentional.

"Well, it was obviously me," said Mr Tai. "Like I said, the gun just went off."

Mr Tai is accused of shooting his girlfriend Chozyn Koroheke at her Pakuranga home in April 2017.

Turiarangi Tai told he court he got the gun in the week leading up to Chozyn Koroheke's death, to protect himself from drug dealers.

However, he told the court he didn't know how to use it or know that it was loaded.

"l wasn't going to use it, I was going to scare people with it," he said.

Tai told the jury he used to go hunting as a child but never shot anything himself, and was never taught the safety aspects.

"I never used a shotgun, apart from on the day Chozyn was killed," he said.

"You accept you shot her with your shotgun ,Mr Tai," said Mr Williams.

"Yes," he replied.

"So you accept now that you are at least guilty of manslaughter," said Mr Williams.

"Yes."

Mr Tai says he believed he'd put the safety catch on before entering the bedroom in which Ms Koroheke was shot.

Lawyers for Mr Tai argue he should be found guilty of manslaughter, but the Crown says it was murder.

The trial resumes next week and Mr Tai will continue giving evidence then.

Newshub.