Businessman faces court over death of tagger

Police and forensic staff examine the area yesterday. Photo / Martin Sykes

A 50-year-old businessman was remanded in custody when he appeared in a south Auckland court today charged with the murder of a teenage boy.

Bruce William Emery was remanded in custody by consent to reappear in Manukau District Court on Thursday. He was not required to enter any plea.

Emery was charged over the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Pihema Clifford Cameron in Southview Place, Manurewa, on Saturday night.

His address was given as Mahia Road, off which Southview Place runs.

The stabbing allegedly occurred during an argument that arose after Pihema was about to tag a fence on a property and was chased.

His death was the latest in a string of 10 homicides in New Zealand since the beginning of the year.

It was also the second fatal stabbing in south Auckland in two days.

A 22-year-old student, Saishwar Krishna Naidu, was attacked on Friday while working in his parents' dairy in Clendon.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with Mr Naidu's murder.

The sister of Mr Emery said the situation was "dreadful, absolutely dreadful".

A key police witness has also revealed how Pihema's friend - still beside his mate's body - told her the pair were about to tag a fence when a man with a knife chased them.

Pihema was stabbed about 11.30pm on Saturday when he was allegedly chased down by Manurewa business owner Bruce William Emery, 50, who will appear in the Manukau District Court today to face a murder charge.

Emery's Mahia Rd home, about 200m from Southview Place where Pihema was murdered, was being photographed by police yesterday.

Emery's sister, who asked not to be named, told the Herald she and her family were devastated by what had happened and offered her condolences to the victim's family .

"It's absolutely terrible," she said. "I hope you never have to know what it's like. It's something we never expected ... It is very tough for us as a family and we just feel so terrible for the other family. It's just dreadful, absolutely dreadful."

The woman and her husband went to Emery's home to collect clothing for his wife and three young children, who were now staying with family and who were "absolutely shattered", struggling to come to terms with their situation. "We've just got some real big issues to deal with."