RECENT CASES

2013: Lower Hutt woman Jessica Keefe stabbed her Mongrel Mob partner Sean Verma to death during a domestic violence incident. She was found not guilty of murder and acquitted of manslaughter on the grounds of self-defence. 2012: David Cunningham was stabbed to death in South Auckland when he ventured on to a property and was confronted by a resident. Police did not lay charges against the resident, who did not know the victim, due to a lack of evidence for criminal charges and claims of self-defence. June 2011: An Invercargill woman, 58, hit her husband on the head with a pepper grinder during a fight. He fell, hitting his head, and died later in hospital. She claimed self-defence and her manslaughter trial was later abandoned. 2011: A boy, 15, was not charged for injuring an intruder at his west Auckland home when he stabbed him during a scuffle. August 2010: Auckland pharmacist Grant Gillard held burglar Bruce Jones in a headlock after Jones had triggered the alarm at Gillard’s pharmacy. When Gillard entered the shop, Jones rushed at him with a spanner and they struggled before Jones collapsed and died. Gillard wasn’t charged. January 2010: Natalie Ford stabbed Gary Marshall with a kitchen knife during a fight. In a 2011 trial she was found not guilty of murder having claimed self-defence after being kicked and choked. August 2009: Hone Piripi Anderson stabbed Edward Ngatai-Emery in a fight between Hamilton youth gangs. Anderson was acquitted of murder and manslaughter at trial, arguing rivals rushed him.