Vicious attack before stabbing

WELLINGTON: A fight in Porirua during which a man was stabbed and killed has been described as a ‘‘pack attack, vicious and sudden’’.

Hone Pawa died at the scene in May last year. Ngapaki Gripp is on trial in the High Court at Wellington for murder.

On the afternoon of May 9 last year, Gripp and his cousin were in Porirua in a parked car after getting takeaways.

Hone Pawa and a handful of others were in the same area and had been drinking.

Counsel Mike Antunovic told the court on day one of the trial yesterday his client and cousin were targeted by the group.

‘‘This was a pack attack . . . the defendant and his cousin were clearly outnumbered,’’ Antunovic said.

‘‘Ngapaki Gripp . . . did absolutely nothing to provoke what happened.’’

He said Pawa was taller and heavier than Gripp, who had no other option but to act defensively.

‘‘Ngapaki Gripp didn’t have the leisure to sit and ponder what his response might be — he didn’t have time on his side — these things just unfolded . . . suddenly, out of the blue and viciously.’’

However, the Crown disputed the theory of selfdefence.

Crown lawyer Andrew Britton told the court Gripp was heard saying ‘‘do you want to get stabbed’’ twice, after pulling a knife from the car.

Pawa was struck six times, Britton said.

‘‘One of the six stab wounds went through the left side of his chest, his heart, his diaphragm, his liver,’’ he said.

Pawa collapsed in a nearby park and the fight was interrupted by an offduty police officer, Britton said.

A paramedic told the jury of eight women and four men he saw a ‘‘trail of blood’’ and attempted to save Pawa.

He described a number of ‘‘hysterical’’ onlookers as other paramedics were called in to help.

More than 40 witnesses are expected to give evidence — many have asked not to be recorded or photographed by media in court.

Mr Antunovic told the jury during his brief opening remarks to keep an open mind over the course of the trial, which could last up to three weeks. — RNZ