'Samurai' murderer's webpage shut down

Convicted murderer Antonie Dixon's graphic webpage has been shut down as the Corrections Department investigates how prison photos of the tattooed killer were sent out.

Corrections reassured the public yesterday that Dixon did not have a cellphone after pictures emerged on a social networking site, MySpace, showing him posing in jail with other criminals.

It follows revelations that a gang member was charged after a late-night visit to a murder-trial juror - a move that threatened to derail the court case that ended in a guilty verdict on Friday.

An Auckland High Court jury found Dixon guilty of attacking Simonne Butler and Renee Gunbie with a samurai sword in Pipiroa near Thames on January 22, 2003, and murdering James Te Aute in Auckland the same night. It was his second conviction on the charges.

It emerged that the retrial came because of errors in the way Justice Judith Potter directed jurors while summing up at the first trial in 2005. The reason had been suppressed.

The Court of Appeal found the High Court judge did not properly instruct the jury on the law relating to insanity and failed to help the jury on how intoxication could have affected any mental disorder Dixon had.

Dixon, who will be sentenced on Friday, plans to appeal again.

In the meantime, a man will appear in Auckland District Court tomorrow facing one count of jury tampering.

The Sunday News reported that a juror on the Dixon trial called police a fortnight ago to say a man had visited his home and allegedly made a hand gesture to suggest money could be provided for a particular verdict.

The next day the juror was separated from his 11 fellow jurors to ensure they did not learn of the complaint. The trial continued.

It is also understood that, after the alleged visit, police provided surveillance at the jurors' homes.

Corrections officials said yesterday that Dixon was subjected to routine searches in prison and were confident he had no access to a cellphone. It said photographs on the website were taken at Auckland Prison, where Dixon has not been housed since September 2007.

A notice on the site yesterday said the user had cancelled membership or the account had been deleted.

On the page Dixon - who referred to himself as "Samurai Sword" - admitted he attacked the women five years ago but said he had changed and wanted another chance.

He called himself "complicated" but also said he was a "down-to-earth guy".

Dixon told Corrections the page was created, and had been updated, by an acquaintance outside prison.

- NZPA and staff reporters