KEY POINTS:
A 50-year-old businessman accused of stabbing a teenage tagger to death will have a psychiatric assessment before his next court appearance.
Bruce William Emery, self-employed, from Manurewa, is charged with murder after the death of Pihema Clifford Cameron, 15, in Southview Place on Saturday.
It is believed Pihema
and a friend were tagging property in the area before the incident.
Emery appeared in the Manukau District Court yesterday, well dressed in a white shirt, wearing a tie and black pants.
He showed no signs of emotion as he stood in the dock with his hands clasped at his front, making the occasional glance around a courtroom packed with more than 60 people.
Police prosecutor Shane Walsh told the court the Crown opposed media photos being taken of Emery because there were witnesses yet to be spoken to by police who were needed for identification purposes and who could be affected by seeing his image.
But Judge David Harvey said he had already granted media the right to take photographs, noting the public interest in the case. He remanded Emery in custody while a report under the Mentally Impaired Person's Act is completed.
Speaking after the court appearance, Emery's lawyer, Chris Comeskey, said of the psychiatric report: "Nothing ought to be read into that. It's a pretty standard procedural step ... [partly] to see if a person is fit to undergo trial and part of it may have a bearing on any later bail application which may be in contemplation."
Mr Comeskey said a trial could take two years and bail was "certainly something which must be looked at".
He said Emery had provided police a video interview in which he accounted for his actions during the incident.
"I don't think it's disputed that at about 11.30 at night while he was out on his front deck he saw two persons with hoodies on spray-painting his garage door. He yelled out to them then he ran downstairs," Mr Comeskey said.
"He's gone to investigate, he's taken a knife which was by his fishing boat. He's gone out, there's been a chase up the street. There's been a scuffle and a death has resulted from that ... from a stab wound.
"It appears to be a combination of some very unfortunate circumstances - none of which have been of his making. They're the basic facts against the background of: he's at his house, he's 50 years old, he's lived in Manurewa for 30 years with his wife of 18 years and his three children. He's never been in trouble before."
Mr Emery and his family were traumatised by the events.
"They, understandably, are very upset by the turn of events. It's not something that any of them could have contemplated in their minds up until late Saturday night. They have been thrown into this situation.
"To say that the whole affair is awful for all parties would probably be an understatement. I have spoken to his family members. They would be keen to meet with the deceased's family at a time and place which is appropriate given that the other side will have a process of grieving that they will undoubtedly wish to attend to."
Pihema's family representatives declined to comment.