Wellington, March 16 NZPA - Three men accused of breaking into the Waihopai Spy Base near Blenheim last April were good citizens and devout Christians, a jury in Wellington District Court was told today.

The trial of Otaki teacher Adrian Leason, Dominican friar Peter Murnane and farmer Sam Land resumed this afternoon after Judge Stephen Harrop and lawyers for both sides spent a day and a half discussing legal matters behind closed doors.

This afternoon, the jury were read letters from numerous character witnesses attesting to the strong Christian faith and peacefulness of the trio.

The Crown and defence will tomorrow deliver their closing speeches before the judge sums up the case and the jury retires.

The three men are accused of burglary and wilful damage after fences at the spy base were cut and an inflatable dome covering one of the satellite dishes operated by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) was slashed.

They have not denied carrying out the attack on the base, which they say was done to defend the lives of people overseas.

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