Man stabbed himself in back of the head, murder accused says
A young father of three was stabbed in the back of the head by his partner, the Crown says, but Kia’Ara Richardson claims Peter Hemi stabbed himself.
Kia’Ara Richardson, 23, is accused of murdering Peter Hemi, 23, during an argument in a car outside their home on McDonald St in Ashburton on November 8, 2019, when she was 19.
Richardson’s trial began in the High Court at Christchurch yesterday before Justice Cameron Mander and a jury.
Hemi, a father of three children – a 7-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 2-week-old baby he met for the first time just three days before his death – was found critically injured in a pool of blood and died shortly afterwards.
Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae told the jury Richardson and Hemi had an argument at their home. The argument continued outside to the street where Hemi and Richardson got into a car.
The couple had left a party in Tinwald after a “separate altercation” involving several people including Richardson, who was seen to pull out a knife, McRae said. Richardson and Hemi returned home about 11pm where a “heated argument” began between the two.
Hemi wanted to go to another party but Richardson did not. The argument continued out onto the street, alerting neighbours. One filmed the altercation.
Hemi then got into the driver’s seat of a vehicle and Richardson got in the back seat. Hemi was heard shouting at Richardson to “f... off” and “get out of my face, bitch”. It was then, during a moment of “extreme anger”, that Richardson stabbed Hemi in the back of the head, the Crown alleged.
The knife went 13 to 15cm into Hemi’s skull, McRae said. Richardson got out of the car, slammed the door, and threw the knife in the long grass by the property’s fence line, he said.
She then went back to the car and opened the driver’s door. Hemi fell out and onto the ground. Hemi could be heard saying “I’m bleeding out, f...ing call the ambulance, I’m bleeding out”, McRae said. Richardson then called 111.
McRae said two videos and the 111 call would be played as evidence during the trial. What Richardson said in the first 25 seconds of the call was “very significant”, he said.
Richardson was arrested three days later. She told police Hemi was “looking at her as if he hated her” and she wanted to take keys from him, McRae said. She denied causing the fatal injury, saying she got out of the car and did not see Hemi stab himself. There was no knife near Hemi or in the surrounding area when he died, McRae said.
The knife used has not been found since. Richardson’s defence lawyer, Rupert Glover, spoke briefly after McRae.
“There is no time in the trial when the Crown’s case looks stronger than in the opening - you haven’t had it muddied by any of the evidence,” he told the jury.
“Don’t be fooled by my friend’s confidence … Keep your eyes, ears and, above all, minds open.”
He reminded the jury they would hear evidence for the defence.
Hemi’s mum, Te Atatu Hemi, and brother, Aaron Hemi, were called as witnesses on Monday afternoon, both giving background on Richardson and Hemi’s relationship.
Te Atatu said the couple had been together a “couple of months at the most” before Peter Hemi’s death. The couple had lived in a cabin at her Ashburton home before they moved to McDonald St. Their relationship was mostly “hidden” and they spent most of their time together in the cabin, she said.
Richardson and Hemi spoke to each other “like mud”, she said. There had been “good days and bad days” but they swore and argued a lot, she said.
Te Atatu described Richardson as quiet and closed off, but said she could hear her arguing with Hemi when they were in the cabin. Te Atatu had found weapons including baseball bats, knives and knuckle dusters in her car, which she often lent to Hemi. After finding knives under her couch, Hemi and Richardson were told to move out.
The trial has been set down for three weeks and continues today.