Kahui to give evidence at inquest on twins today

Chris Kahui's evidence today is expected to differ from what he told police. Photo / Dean Purcell

More than four years after the deaths of his infant twin sons, acquitted murder accused Chris Kahui will today give his version of events in the days before the boys died.

But his evidence is likely to differ from what he told police before his 2008 trial.

Mr Kahui did not give evidence in his own defence then, leaving prosecution and defence lawyers to rely on three statements he had made earlier to police about the June 2006 killings.

In one, he said both Chris and Cru had fed normally after his former partner Macsyna King left the house to spend time with her sister.

However, at a coroner's inquest in Auckland yesterday, police lawyer Simon Mount said Mr Kahui would say one of the boys - baby Chris - had not fed after Ms King left the house.

Giving evidence yesterday, Ms King wept as she explained why she did not return home immediately after hearing one of her baby twins was having trouble breathing.

She has given evidence that she was with her sister Emily on the afternoon and evening of June 12, 2006, when police say the fatal injuries were inflicted.

The pair had gone to visit a friend of Emily's in West Auckland before returning to Emily's Papakura home, where Ms King slept the night.

She said she was told by her sister when waking about 7am that Cru had held his breath the previous night, causing Mr Kahui's sister and brother to seek her out at the Papakura address.

But instead of rushing back, she stayed at Emily's home and then dropped her sister off at work in Mt Wellington before returning to her Mangere home.

Coroner Garry Evans asked why she did not go back sooner, or phone home to find out what was happening, saying it appeared to be extraordinary.

"I guess I expected Chris to know and deal with the situation from our personal experience with nurses and doctors," she said.

"I can only - I did not know how severe that was. I simply didn't think that it was that bad."

Ms King also explained why she told two female police officers she did not want to speak to them on the day she first took the twins to hospital with critical injuries.

She said she had been at the hospital for 15 minutes and was emotional as she had been informed the twins were gravely ill.

"I was in no way in a reasonable state to be able to speak with them, let alone explain what happened to my sons."

Ms King denied causing the injuries which led to the babies' death.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA