Riot police who closed down an out-of-control party in Papatoetoe literally stumbled across a dying man at a nearby service station as they "herded" partygoers down the road.
Twenty-two-year-old Punoua Robert Harvey Tourangi (also known as Punoua Cecil) had a knife wound to his carotid artery which gushed blood and a 12-14cm deep stab wound in his temple.
In the High Court at Auckland yesterday 19-year-old Stuart Martin Harrison of Manurewa, represented by Marie Dyhrberg and Leigh Langridge, denied a charge of murdering Mr Tourangi at the Caltex service station at the corner of Great South Rd and Puhinui Rd, Papatoetoe, in March last year.
In its opening address, the Crown, represented by Richard Marchant and Steve Haszard, claimed that Harrison "calmly" straddled the already injured man as he lay on the ground and thrust a large knife into his temple.
Justice John Laurenson told the jury that the sole issue in the trial was whether it was Harrison who committed the murder.
Mr Marchant said that there had earlier been incidents involving the deceased at the party in Caspar Rd, where he was said to have tried to make a young man kiss his shoes. Later there was another incident at the service station when Rima Tuau, the driver of one of the two cars belonging to the deceased's group, was laughed at when radiator water exploded over him as he removed his car's radiator cap.
When he stalled leaving the service station, he was challenged to a fight by one of the accused's friends, David Mulitalo.
When Mr Mulitalo produced a screw driver and stabbed Mr Tuau, he was himself attacked by Mr Tourangi and his friends.
He was repeatedly punched and kicked and was also "bottled."
Mr Marchant said that at one stage Mr Tourangi got a baseball bat and swung it at Mr Mulitalo. He also smashed up one of the opposition cars with the bat.
Mr Tourangi was also said to have taken the screwdriver off Mr Mulitalo and stabbed him with it.
Mr Marchant said that seeing his friend being beaten up, Harrison decided to join in.
He said that Harrison walked up to Mr Tourangi as he walked away from the fight, spun him round and, holding a large knife, started throwing punches and stabbed him in the neck.
"As a result, blood spurted from the wound. The deceased then ran from the forecourt some 20m and fell headfirst into the concrete in a semiconscious state.
"The accused then calmly walked up to the deceased, who was lying face down, straddled him and then stabbed him in the head, killing him almost immediately," Mr Marchant said.
Police who were clearing the party "literally stumbled across" the dying man lying face down in a large pool of blood.
Mr Marchant said evidence from a pathologist would show that Mr Tourangi might have survived the wound to the neck, but the stab to the head would have killed him almost immediately.
The trial is expected to last up to three weeks.
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