Kahui confused under questioning

Chris Kahui. Photo / Dean Purcell

The father of slain twins Chris and Cru Kahui agreed he was trying to protect his sons from his own anger when pressured under cross-examination at an inquest into their deaths today.

Three-month-olds Cru and Chris died in hospital from severe head injuries in June 2006. Their father, Chris Kahui, was found not guilty of their murders in a 2008 High Court trial, at which his lawyers said their mother, Macsyna King, killed them.

Mr Kahui was asked today if he was trying to protect the twins from his own anger, under cross-examination from police lawyer Simon Mount at the inquest in Auckland District Court into the twins' deaths.

He agreed, but when probed further by coroner Garry Evans it was clear he did not understand the question.

Mr Kahui said he was "angry" that Ms King was not at home on the two nights before police say the twins were fatally injured.

He has appeared confused throughout his evidence, with Mr Evans often stepping in to clarify what was being asked.

Earlier today, he agreed he had been careless about signing his police statement before reading it properly.

He was asked why he said in the statement he left his then partner Ms King to do everything for the twins.

"That's not true is it?", Mr Mount asked.

Mr Kahui agreed and described how he had fed the twins about 5pm on the day before they were taken to hospital.

"Looking back, do you think you were a bit careless signing that police statement?" Mr Mount asked.

Mr Kahui said he should have thought more about what was in it.

He said there was no reason why he would have told police something that was wrong.

Mr Kahui said he thought Ms King must have killed their three-month-old twin sons because he believed she was having affairs with two other family members.

An interim suppression order was partially lifted this morning by Mr Evans on the reason why Mr Kahui yesterday said he had changed his mind that Ms King "might have" to "must have" killed the twins.

He said it was because Mr Kahui found out that Ms King was allegedly having an intimate relationship with two other family members.

The details of the family members concerned remained suppressed.

"When I heard about that it disgusted me a little," Mr Kahui said.

Mr Kahui told the inquest yesterday he had never done anything to hurt his children.

"I never asked Macsyna if she did it. I didn't do it so I thought she must have."

Mr Kahui denied he had ever used methamphetamine or cannabis, but admitted to occasionally drinking alcohol.

In the weeks leading up to the twins' deaths, Mr Kahui said he spent almost every day in hospital with his mother, who was seriously ill with pneumonia, so Ms King looked after the twins most of the time.

He did not know she was using methamphetamine when the twins were at home, he said.

Mr Kahui will continue to give his version of events at the inquest on Monday.

NZPA