Witnesses in a High Court murder trial have spoken of their unease after hearing the sound of gunshots in the Coromandel bush after nightfall.

Adrian Reginald George Phillips, 23, is on trial in Hamilton in relation to the death of Bayden Williams, 20, who was found dead on the Kopu-Hikuai Road in Coromandel on the evening of Wednesday, August 5, 2020.

It is alleged that Phillips deliberately rammed Williams' vehicle off a twisting stretch of road about 5km from Kopu.

When Williams climbed up a bank back to the roadside, about 7pm that night, Phillips allegedly fatally injured him by shooting him three times in the shoulder, thigh and head with a sawn-off shotgun.

Bayden Williams, who was allegedly murdered on the Kopu-Hikuai Rd in the Coromandel Peninsula. Photo: Supplied.

The Crown contends Phillips was in a murderous rage when he fired the shots. His defence counsel says Phillips fired in self-defence, because he believed Williams was coming at him with a knife.

On Friday the court heard evidence in rapid succession from six Crown witnesses who were in the area when the shooting happened.

One of these was Whangamata plasterer Michael Martin, who was driving home from a job in Pokeno that night.

Martin told the court he had stopped on the Kopu-Hikuai Road to urinate when he heard the distinct sound of a shotgun being fired not far away.

Martin was travelling with his nephew, gibstopper Cameron Brown, who he had been working with that day.

He instructed his nephew to jot down the time – 6.45pm – because the shots sounded a little suspicious.

The cordon on Kopu-Hikuai Rd on the Coromandel where Bayden Williams was found dead. Photo: Stuff.

'It did not sound right,” he said.

The pair headed east when they saw a Mazda ute parked on the grass verge, with its headlights on pointed towards them.

'It was just in an odd spot,” said Martin. 'I said don't stop ... It just looked weird.”

Martin also noted there was a hole in the treeline, by the side of the road, which indicated a car may have gone off the road there.

'I thought that ute had stopped to help them ... but it didn't feel right.”

Brown, who also gave evidence, said he saw a figure standing close by the ute as they passed. There was steam coming from the bonnet.

The man he saw was pakeha and wearing farming clothing, including workboots, shorts and a farming shirt. The man moved towards the bushes as they passed.

Another witness, Ruvee De Thierry, was living close by at the time. She was getting wood in for her fire when she heard the sound of a crash, followed by a 'pop, pop, pop,” of a gun being fired.

The sounds themselves were not unusual, particularly given there were many crashes on the Kopu-Hikuai Rd.

Tairua artist Ronald McCown also gave evidence. He spoke of seeing Williams' Jaguar car leaving the Gull service station after work. The same car later overtook his Toyota Landcruiser on the road to Thames.

A short time later he saw the ute parked on the side of the road.

'We thought it was an accident or pig hunters ... We did not know what happened until later.”

During cross examination, defence counsel Rob Mansfield QC asked McCown how fast he thought Williams' Jaguar was going when it passed him.

'At least 100km per hour,” he replied. 'Probably more.”

More soon.

Mike Mather/ Stuff