Wellington, Nov 25 NZPA - The trial of four men accused of the murder of Wanganui man Paul Shane Kumeroa was aborted yesterday when the jury was dismissed.

The High Court at Wanganui was closed and a blanket suppression order prevented reporting on why the 12 jurors were dismissed on the second day of the trial, the Wanganui Chronicle reported.

The trial, with a new jury, started today.

Black Power member Clarke McCallum, 35, Daniel Rippon, 23, Jamie Ahsin, 24, and Raeleen Rameka, 20, are accused of the murder of Mr Kumeroa, 28.

He was allegedly punched and hit over the head with an axe or baseball bat by a Black Power gang member and three gang associates as he walked home from a party in September last year while wearing a red hoodie.

Red was a colour associated with the rival Mongrel Mob gang but Mr Kumeroa was not a gang member or associate.

The trial is expected to take up to three weeks.

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