Teenagers spoke of stabbing taxi driver, court told

A witness says two teenagers spoke of having "stabbed a taxi driver" when they went to a nightclub in central Christchurch after the death of father-of-five Abdulrahman Ikhtiari.

Witness Chris Rahurahu, 17, acknowledged he had been drinking for more than 12 hours leading up to the conversation with the teens but said he was not drunk.

He was giving evidence at the depositions hearing where the two teenagers face joint charges of murdering the taxi driver.

All of the crown's summary of facts presented in its opening statement was suppressed after an application by defence counsel Pip Hall, who appears for the older of the two accused, Randell Legion Wiremu Brown, who turns 20 tomorrow.

The other accused cannot be named because he is aged 16 and appears in the Youth Court jurisdiction.

The depositions hearing - a preliminary hearing held before trial - was held before Christchurch District Court Judge John Strettell in the Youth Court.

Crown prosecutor Anne Toohey said the crown was presenting evidence from 24 witnesses at the hearing. Nine of them would give evidence in person, and the others would be handed to the judge in written form. The hearing is expected to take three or four days.

Mr Hall asked for the suppression order because the statement of facts covered matters which would be challenged at pre-trial hearings.

The defence was also expected to make applications for sections of the evidence to be suppressed during this week's hearing.

The first witness, Mr Rahurahu, told of Brown and the youth leaving a 21st party at a nightclub and returning in the early hours of Saturday, December 6.

He heard them talking when they returned, and they told of having "stabbed a taxi-driver".

He asked them: "Why didn't you just run away like normal people? It's the smarter thing to do."

He saw red on Brown's arm. Brown said it was blood.

He later heard Brown tell the youth: "It was lucky I held him like that or you could have stabbed me."

Mr Ikhtiari, a 39-year-old who had come from Afghanistan with his family, was allegedly stabbed in his taxi on Worcester Street, central Christchurch, early on December 6. He was found dead at the scene.

Mr Hall and Kerry Cook appear for Brown. Elizabeth Bulger appears for the youth.

Anne Toohey and Mark Zarifeh appear for the crown.

The hearing is in closed court, but Judge Strettell has allowed family and friends of the youths and the taxi driver to stay in court for the hearing of evidence.

- NZPA