Connor Morris death tale of two parties

Michael Thrift Murray (R).

High Court told how tragedy in Massey began with housewarming and birthday gatherings just 150m apart

The trial for the man accused of murdering Connor Morris centres around two parties.

They were held on the same night, just metres apart. They were not connected until the minutes leading up to his death.

Mr Morris, 26, died during a violent street brawl between separate groups of partygoers on August 3 last year. Michael Thrift Murray, 33, is accused of murdering him by striking him in the head with a sickle-like garden tool.

The men had never met before that moment and this week a jury is hearing how the two gatherings fatally collided and who was at each address before blood was shed on Don Buck Rd in Massey.

It was Jason "Karl" Teiho's 21st birthday party at 403c Don Buck Rd, the trial in the Auckland High Court has been told.

His sister Iesha Teiho organised the "drink up" at the home where she lived with her young child and another brother, Trevor Morunga, then 17. The house itself was down a long driveway.

Miss Teiho told guests to come to the house around 7pm. The party was mostly in her garage and was not large in numbers.

Among the guests were Miss Teiho's cousin Shamus Wira and his partner Luya Kariauria and Stan Murray. He is Mr Wira's cousin and the younger brother of the accused.

The older Murray lived in a house at the top of the driveway to 403c with his partner and their children. He was not at the party, but had been invited. He had spent the day at Rainbow's End with his family and was keen to have a night at home with them.

About 150m down the road at number 425, Mr Morris' sister Cymmion was having a housewarming party.

Guests included Mr Morris, his partner Millie Elder-Holmes, his parents and a number of Head Hunters gang members.

Mr Morris and his father Chris were Head Hunters, but the party was not a gang function.

Both parties ran into the night and there was no visible trouble on Don Buck Rd.

But down the driveway at 403c the atmosphere had descended from what one witness described as "merrymaking" to an aggressive and heated affair with scraps and fights breaking out.

The jury heard this week that Mr Morunga was intoxicated and was "playing up". Mr Wira tried to sort him out and punched him in the face.

That soured things for Miss Teiho and she ordered the men to leave.

"I kind of just wanted it to shut down after that ... I told everyone that I wanted them to go, that I didn't want any fighting at my house," she said in evidence.

Mr Morunga, Mr Wira, Mr Teiho and Stan Murray walked up the driveway and continued to drink near the road. The accused came out of his house and joined them. As the men from 403c stood drinking and talking, three men from the housewarming walked past. They were heading to the petrol station to buy pineapple juice.

Mr Morunga approached one of them to shake his hand. However - because in his own words he was drunk and being an idiot - he decided to kick the man in the head.

"I was just being an egg, being an idiot. I made a stupid decision. I kicked him and that's what started the whole fight ... he ran off and said he was going to come back with some 88s or something," Mr Morunga said in court - 88s are another name for Head Hunters gang members, with H being the eighth letter of the alphabet.

A bigger group from number 425, including Mr Morris, converged on the street and the fight was on. Minutes later, Mr Morris was dead.

The trial continues today.

Today at the trial

• The trial before Justice Edwin Wylie will reopen today at 10am.

• Jason "Karl" Teiho will give evidence first. His 21st was on Don Buck Rd the night Mr Morris was killed.

• The court will also hear from a man who lived on the road and saw the fight from his lounge window.

• People who were at a housewarming with Mr Morris will also begin to give evidence.

• It is understood Mr Morris' parents will attend the entire trial.