Kahui witness denies 'cooking up story'

A picture of the Kahui twins - Chris and Cru. Photo / Supplied

An aunt of Chris and Cru Kahui today denied that she "cooked up a story" with her husband to protect her sister Macsyna King about her whereabouts on the night the twins received the injuries from which they died.

Emily Hepi was giving evidence at the Auckland inquest into the 2006 deaths of the three-month-old boys.

Mrs Hepi and Ms King have previously said that they were in west Auckland the night the twins were injured.

But Chris Wilkinson-Smith, lawyer for the twins' father, Chris Kahui, challenged her:" Something was going on that night."

He asked her if she and her husband Pou Hepi had "cooked up a story" protect Macsyna King about her whereabouts .

He referred to a document which showed numerous calls made to Mrs Hepi from her husband's cellphone showing she and Macsyna were in the area of the Kahui family home in Mangere.

"You can insinuate that but it's wrong," Mrs Hepi said.

Earlier today, Mrs Hepi asked not to be filmed by a television camera because she feared for her family's safety, and told coroner Garry Evans how her connection with the case had seriously affected her life.

She said she had received abusive texts and had to move out of her house.

"I've had to tell my employer who I am and how this has affected me. This is about my nephews, and my children are my main concern," she said.

An order was made not to film Mrs Hepi, and a television cameraman was asked to leave the court.

When asked about Macsyna King's methamphetamine habit, her sister said she "did not want to be tainted with the same brush" as her.

Mr Wilkinson-Smith earlier today asked Stuart King, brother of Macsyna King, if she asked him not to speak to the police.

Mr King agreed and said he spent a lot of time with Macsyna King following the twins' deaths.

Marie Dyhrberg, representing Macsyna King, asked Mr King about how his sister felt when Mr Kahui did not go to the hospital where the twins were in a critical condition.

"You said in your police statement that the hurt and anger you saw on Macsyna's face when Chris didn't come to the hospital was like someone had taken her heart out and stomped on it," Ms Dyhrberg asked Mr King.

He agreed that was what he told police.

Mr King was also asked by Mr Evans how the twins got their rib fractures and brain injuries.

"I wouldn't have a clue," he said.

Mr Evans asked him if he had ever seen anyone handle the babies in a bad way.

"If I had seen the twins being handled in a bad way I would have handled them (the person who did that to them) in a bad way," Mr King said.

He said he had no reason to believe anyone was responsible for causing the injuries.

Police lawyer Simon Mount asked Mr King if he held anything back from police when he made his statement.

He replied "never", saying there was nothing he had not told them.

Chris Kahui was found not guilty in 2008 of the twins' murders, his legal team blaming the deaths on Macsyna King.

She has vehemently denied the claims.

- NZPA