A 14-year-old boy who fatally stabbed 16-year-old Enere McLaren-Taana at the Dunedin bus hub last year has been jailed for three years and three months.
The teenager, who was found guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder at a jury trial in June, appeared for sentencing this morning before Justice Robert Osborne in the High Court at Dunedin.
The court heard that, on May 23, 2024, the defendant, then 13, stabbed McLaren-Taana during an altercation at the bus hub.
The confrontation arose between the pair, who were unknown to each other, after McLaren-Taana told the younger boy to pull his socks up and called him a “b**** boy” and a “sackless c***”.
The stabbing was captured on CCTV and cellphone footage and described by multiple witnesses throughout the trial.
McLaren-Taana’s whānau were present in court, many wearing shirts bearing his face and name, with Bible verses on the back.
With his portrait positioned at the front of the courtroom, three of his family members gave victim impact statements.
The defendant, who wore a light blue blazer over a shirt and tie, showed no visible emotion when he was addressed directly by the family members.
McLaren-Taana’s father, John McLaren, swore at the teen as he made his way forward to make his victim impact statement, and asked Justice Osborne: “How the f*** did we get here?”
He described the traumatic events of the day he found out that his son, called JJ by his family, had been killed.
“On the 23rd of May 2024, at 8.20am, JJ stops as he’s leaving the bus to go to school, stops, and says, ‘I love you, Dad’. [I said] ‘Have a good day at school.’ And he’s gone to catch his school bus. That’s the last time I ever saw my boy alive.
“The last year hasn’t been good for me or my family. The hardest year of my life, and I know this will never leave me.”
He was a 58-year-old father of six who had turned his life around after leaving prison in 1999, and he had worked hard to love and guide McLaren-Taana, he said.
“He was very much like me, very much. But the thing I noticed about my son is he had a good heart, he cared about people, and looked after people less fortunate than himself, because that’s the way he was brought up.”
McLaren talked about his love for sport, and how hard he found it not having that time with his son.
He said he was made redundant after his son’s death and had not worked since because he was unable to move on.
The victim’s older brother, Rick McLaren, sobbed as he gave a separate statement.
He said the death of his brother had ruined his family’s life and that he had struggled to deal with his anger, frustration, and getting through the days. He had also lost his business since McLaren-Taana’s death.
Speaking directly to the defendant, he said: “I wish you nothing but f***ing misery. Maybe then you’ll get a wee sniff of the trauma you put my family through.”
He said he would never forgive the boy.
“Your actions were cowardly, you are a coward, and that’s all you’ll ever f***ing be.”
The victim’s grandmother, Tere Taana, spoke of his love of sport and his talent.
“On the Monday before he was killed, I clearly remember seeing him on the bus, and he said to me, ‘I love you, Nana’ and I said I love you back. Then a lady said what a lovely boy he is. That was the last time I saw him alive.
“I am so angry at this boy. Who do you think you are? ... This is going to be pinned on your heart. You’ll have to live with this for the rest of your life.”
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith submitted that a starting point for sentencing should be in the range of seven to eight years’ imprisonment, before any deductions for mitigating factors.
He urged the court to denounce the boy’s conduct in the strongest possible terms.
Defence counsel Anne Stevens, KC, said the defendant had listened carefully to what had been said, and hoped that McLaren-Taana’s family would be able eventually to read his written apology.
Many of McLaren-Taana’s family left the court as Stevens spoke, his grandmother swearing aloud as she exited.
Stevens said the defendant wanted to assure the family of his regret and that he did not smirk at them, but had instead attempted to express sorrow for their loss.
She said the defendant, who “remains a child”, had viewed the trial as a process of accountability, during which he faced the gravity of his actions.
He had not intended to kill McLaren-Taana and was extremely remorseful and traumatised by his death, which was unanimously acknowledged by professionals who had observed him since.
Justice Osborne jailed the teen for three years and three months.
He set a starting point of seven years but gave various discounts for his youth, prospects of rehabilitation, time spent on bail and remorse.
“I have no doubt, as the jury have found, that you did not go out that day with the intention of killing anyone.
“You have brought on yourself the disaster of criminal proceedings and imprisonment, and all that brings to you and your family.
“You have an opportunity denied to Enere to live a good life and contribute to society ... I say to you, you owe it to yourself, you owe it to your family, but most importantly, you owe it to Enere.”
The boy was denied a discharge without conviction, but was granted a final order of name suppression.
McLaren-Taana’s family hurled abuse at the defendant and his family, who were also present in the public gallery, as he was led out of the dock.
One family member told a member of the defendant’s family. “You watch out, I’ll find you”.
He has been on bail since his conviction in June, during which Crown prosecutor Richard Smith noted he had complied fully with conditions.
Outside court, John McLaren said he was “very disappointed” with the outcome.
“Three years – that’s what my son’s life is valued at?”
He thanked the court and police staff, as well as the family’s supporters throughout the trial.
He said throughout the trial, Justice Osborne had got his son’s name wrong: “I just want to make it clear, his name is Enere John Junior McLaren-Taana. He was very proud of his name. His whole family is.”
Throughout the trial, the court heard that the defendant had previously been assaulted and robbed, and had started carrying a knife out of fear.
Stevens had argued that the stabbing was an act of self-defence, while the Crown maintained it was a deliberate act, pointing to evidence that the teen had chased McLaren-Taana before delivering the fatal blow.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.