Victim of fatal row yelled for 'cuz' to keep fighting

A 16-year-old Turangi girl yelled for a fight to continue while bleeding profusely from a fatal stab wound to the neck, a court has heard.

Melissa Puhi was allegedly killed by another 16-year-old girl during a drunken fight in the central North Island town on May 13, her birthday.

The other girl, who knew Miss Puhi but cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murder and appeared in the Rotorua Youth Court for a depositions hearing yesterday. She entered no plea and sat next to her lawyer, John Rowan, QC, taking notes.

The court heard from two girls, aged 14 and 15, who had been drinking with the defendant before the Saturday night incident.

The 14-year-old said they met at her house at 8pm to drink bourbon and cola before walking to a birthday party for Miss Puhi.

The witness said she had drunk seven of 12 bottles in her case and the defendant had consumed about the same before they went out.

Finding nothing happening at the party for Miss Puhi, who they called Pep, they headed to a 21st birthday at another house.

Outside that house, the witness said, the defendant and Miss Puhi began to argue after the defendant threatened one of Miss Puhi's friends.

The witness heard Miss Puhi say "step", which meant "fight".

The defendant allegedly responded, "Yeah, I'll step," while holding a bottle in each hand.

The witness saw the defendant swing her right arm at Miss Puhi's neck, which began bleeding profusely. "When she turned around, it was just squirting," the girl said.

Miss Puhi ran to her aunt's house, which was next to the house where the 21st was held, and an ambulance was called.

She was taken to Taupo Hospital but was dead on arrival.

The 15-year-old witness said she had tried to get the bottles out of the defendant's hands but Miss Puhi had screamed: "Let the bitch use them."

After the fight, she said, Miss Puhi yelled to a cousin to continue fighting the defendant while blood soaked her white singlet.

"She was screaming because she noticed she was bleeding and she was saying, 'Cuz, get her cuz'."

The witness tried to get Miss Puhi to stop the flow of blood with her jacket. "I didn't want to touch her because she was screaming and freaking out."

While drinking with the defendant earlier, the witness had seen her with a small red knife with a fold-up blade.

Crown prosecutor Amanda Gordon said the defendant admitted to police that she stabbed Miss Puhi with a knife.

She allegedly told a detective she carried the knife for protection and had it in her pocket that night.

Ms Gordon said the knife was a wine knife with a bottle opener and corkscrew.

The Crown plans to present evidence from 24 witnesses at the hearing, which is expected to last until Thursday. The defendant is required to enter a plea before it ends.