Chris Kahui like 'happy dad', sister tells inquest

Chris Kahui looked like a "happy Dad" moments before one of his twins stopped breathing.

Mona Kahui wept as she recalled walking into the nursery to see her brother cradling baby Chris, the night before the twins were admitted to hospital with fatal head injuries.

She said she went to pick up baby Cru and noticed the three-month-old was not breathing.

Mona Kahui is giving evidence at the Kahui inquest at the Auckland District Court today.

Babies Chris and Cru Kahui died of head injuries at Starship in 2006. Their father, Chris Kahui, was acquitted of their murders two years later in the High Court at Auckland.

His defence lawyers said the injuries were caused by their mother, Macsyna King. She denied the killings.

Ms Kahui lived with her then-partner Stuart King as well as Chris Kahui and Macsyna King when the twins were killed.

She has told the court that her brother took Cru, laid him down on the couch and stroked his arm before giving CPR.

Ms Kahui ran from the room to get her partner.

"I was scared."

She said she came back into the room and Cru was breathing again.

Ms Kahui said her brother told baby Cru: "Jeez, my son. Don't do that again."

None of the adults called an ambulance because Mr Kahui had the car handy if he needed to get to hospital, she said.

Ms Kahui said she did not think an ambulance was necessary because "my brother was OK".

She said Macsyna King had previously told her that the babies had held their breath for a short period but after a "gentle shake" they would breathe again.

Ms King was asked if she ever said such a thing at Mr Kahui's High Court trial. She answered: "Absolutely not."

She said she was not aware of any child abuse in the house and would have told someone if there was.

Earlier Ms Kahui said her brother had been playing play station "a lot" with her partner Mr King earlier in the day.

She said she had come home from a teen pregnancy class to find her brother and Macsyna King huddling together on a mattress in the lounge room.

There was a power cut and the couple's only heating came from lighting the gas rings in the kitchen.

Ms Kahui asked not to be photographed because she feared her nine-year-old daughter would be bullied at school.

Coroner Garry Evans said he could not prevent images taken of Ms Kahui outside court but stopped the media from photographing her at the inquest.