Killer, 12 - father's cover-up

Eleven-year-old Triston Papuni was 'cheeky' to his friend ... moments later, that friend shot him dead. Photo / Bebo.com

Thomas and Leanne Papuni have waited months for the truth about the killing of their 11-year-old son Triston by a 12-year-old relative.

The couple had to endure an attempted cover-up of the death by the young killer's father, and suggestions that their son's fatal gunshot wounds were accidentally self-inflicted.

But yesterday the truth emerged - the killer, now 13, admitted taking a hunting rifle and shooting Triston dead last year after he got "cheeky".

The teenager was originally charged with murder, but pleaded guilty in the High Court at Gisborne to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

The conviction makes him one of New Zealand's youngest killers.

His father pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice after investigators found he tried to cover up the facts of the shooting.

Father and son are on bail - with name suppression - at least until they are sentenced next month.

Details of the incident have been shrouded in secrecy since the pair were arrested this year, but the official account of what happened was made public yesterday.

Family members sitting in the courtroom wept as they listened.

Triston was staying with his relative at an East Cape farm on July 17 last year, when the two began arguing about whether he would take a knife on a hunting trip.

He was sitting in a small chair in the lounge and the 12-year-old was sitting behind him.

A 17-year-old friend was also in the room, playing video games.

The rifle - which belonged to the accused father - had been taken by the boys on a hunting trip the previous evening, but was not used.

Police say the 12-year-old pulled the semi-automatic rifle from under the table and threatened to shoot Triston after the younger boy called him an "asshole".

Laughing, he began poking at Triston with the weapon to scare him.

Triston watched as the relative then loaded two bullets into the rifle.

Triston said: "Get that gun out of the way", the court heard.

But the 12-year-old asked if he was going to continue to be "cheeky" now that he had "stuck bullets in".

Triston started yelling and turned away, his left shoulder facing the weapon, as the gun was fired.

The bullet travelled through Triston's body from left to right, causing extensive internal injuries and killing him almost instantly, the court heard.

After the shooting, and before police arrived, the 12-year-old's father told him and the 17-year-old witness, "If you get talked to by the cops say that Triston got the gun from under the bed."

Both boys said this in statements to police.

But they went further, saying the rifle fired accidentally while the 12-year-old was trying to get it from Triston.

However, their accounts did not match post mortem examination findings, and when confronted, the 17-year-old recanted.

Yesterday was to be the first day of the teenager's murder trial but he admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter after a police firearms expert said he could not rule out the possibility the gun went off accidentally.

The boy's father was originally charged with being an accessory to murder, but yesterday admitted the lesser charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He told police he could not remember telling his son and the 17-year-old to say Triston got the gun from under the bed.

Family spokeswoman Linda Papuni told the Herald the killing had left "a space that can't be filled".

The court hearing had been "immensely sad", but tempered with relief after finally "hearing and seeing the truth".

She said the family knew "our boy" would not have played with a loaded gun.

"He's been brought up on a farm and would never play with a weapon."

Asked how the killing had divided their family she said: "There has been hurt but not anger. Hurt, because we could not respond."

Triston's parents had struggled with the loss of their "mischievous, persistent, talented academic and sporting son".

The family didn't want to speculate on what sentence might be imposed.

"The key for the family is the truth. They feel they got that and so we'll leave the rest to the judge."

Justice Forrest Miller said the 13-year-old was still a child and could be convicted of a crime such as murder only if he was capable of telling the difference between right and wrong.

Evidence from a doctor and four teachers was that he was able to make that distinction.

The judge ordered a pre-sentence report and home detention/community detention appendices, but said that was no indication of the final sentence.

- Additional reporting: NZPA