Teenager guilty of manslaughter
HAMILTON: A Hamilton teenager has been found guilty of unlawfully killing a 54yearold after a brief, but fatal, confrontation during a car breakin.
However, a jury in the High Court at Hamilton yesterday did not find the 16yearold guilty of murder, but guilty of the manslaughter of Norman Kingi on July 28 last year.
Her 14yearold coaccused was found not guilty on both charges.
Kingi and his partner Vicki Lee Reihana caught the two girls, and a 12yearold girl, breaking into their car which was parked outside their home on Ranui St on July 28 last year.
After a brief confrontation the older girl stabbed Kingi in the heart with a knife before fleeing with the 14yearold.
The 16yearold, who wiped back tears after the verdicts were read, admitted stabbing him but unsuccessfully claimed it was selfdefence.
But the jury found otherwise, and although deciding she did not have murderous intent, they agreed she killed Kingi unlawfully by way of stabbing.
The public gallery remained quiet as the verdicts were read.
The jury was sent to begin their deliberations at noon before returning three hours later with their verdicts.
The 16yearold was convicted by Justice Brewer and remanded in custody for sentencing in December.
In light of the verdicts, the 14yearold was granted permanent name suppression by the judge. The older accused had her interim name suppression carried over until her next appearance.
Kingi’s family did not comment outside court, but through Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley they said they accepted the jury’s verdicts and were just pleased that someone had been held to account for his death. — NZME