Witness tells of prolonged knife attack

WHANGAREI - A Rawene man clenched the knife blade of an assailant in his bare hand as he struggled to stop a frenzied and prolonged attack that killed three people.

At a depositions hearing in the Whangarei District Court, Brian Desmond Aporo, also known as Brian Smith, pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder at Rawene on December 10 last year.

He was charged with murdering his children, Israel Te Apatu-Aporo, aged 3, and Keziah Te Huia Smith, 11 months, and his 47-year-old neighbour Trevor Francis Mokaraka.

Aporo is also charged with the attempted murder of the children's mother, Te Huia Hape, and neighbour John Fenton.

Aporo was remanded in custody back to the Mason Clinic until June 20 when a High Court trial date will be set.

Crown solicitor Phil Smith said further examination was required to establish whether Aporo was insane at the time of the offending.

In a witness statement read to the court, Mr Fenton said that on the night before the killings Aporo told Miss Hape he had slept with other women.

Mr Fenton, who was present, said Miss Hape was crying and upset, but not angry, and Aporo was very apologetic.

"There were no bad vibes."

Some time after 8 am the next morning Mr Fenton and his first cousin, Mr Mokaraka, went back to the couple's house where they could hear Miss Hape screaming.

The screams were "different from someone being thrashed ... beyond an argument," and Mr Aporo was yelling incoherently.

The pair found Aporo with a knife "stabbing down" on Miss Hape who was trying to fight him off.

Mr Mokaraka moved in and Aporo was yelling "as if he was speaking in tongues ... I thought he was crazy," Mr Fenton said.

Miss Hape was yelling "the kids, the kids." Mr Fenton noticed Mr Mokaraka was on the ground.

Aporo thrust the knife at Mr Fenton, but he repelled the blow.

They struggled while Miss Hape ran down the hallway looking for her children.

Mr Fenton kept hold of Aporo as he made after Miss Hape.

Aporo tried to stab and also began punching her.

Mr Fenton pulled Aporo's arm back allowing Miss Hape to escape.

Aporo again tried to stab Miss Hape. Mr Fenton held on tight and Aporo began gouging his (Mr Fenton's) right eye before letting go of the knife.

Aporo ran to get another knife from the kitchen and Mr Fenton told Miss Hape to get out. He then saw Israel lying on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood.

Mr Fenton left the house to see Mr Mokaraka lying on a footpath with a hole in his chest. He had no pulse so Mr Fenton attempted to resuscitate him.

The court heard pathologists' reports which found the two children died after their throats were cut, and Mr Mokaraka died after being stabbed in the heart.

- NZPA