Accused 'man enough' to accept responsibility

Hiakita Hori Eruera, Paul William Taki and Hyacin Eruera (Pictured). Photo / George Novak

THE lawyer of Hiakita Hori Eruera, the man accused of stabbing and killing Takena Tiepa-Ranapia, says Eruera was "man enough" to admit he was likely responsible for the death.

Eruera, 38, admitted on Wednesday he had likely caused Mr Tiepa-Ranapia's death, but disputed the Crown's allegations he had intentionally set out to attack him with a knife.

His step-daughter Paris Taite had told Eruera she had been assaulted at a party in Mansfield St, Ohauiti, and Eruera said he had gone to the party to sort out what happened.

He said he had picked up a knife at the party and had it in his hand when he punched the victim.

Summing up yesterday, Russell Fairbrother QC said his job had been made much easier by the frank way in which Eruera accepted that his actions that night "must have been responsible for the stabbing injury, which caused the death".

"He was man enough to step forward and say he caused the injury.

"He could have sat there and let me run the defence that he had no involvement in Takena's death ... but he owned up to what he did so we've got to give considerable weight to that."

Mr Fairbrother said because of this admission, the jury had to find Eruera guilty of at least manslaughter.

Mr Fairbrother said Guy Wikeepa's evidence on November 26 that Eruera had stabbed his friend Brooklyn Ormsby-Ratahi multiple times on Ohauiti Rd prior to his arrival at the Mansfield St party was unreliable. Mr Ormsby-Ratahi has no memory of how he was injured.

Mr Wikeepa had changed his story numerous times in the days after Mr Tiepa-Ranapia's death and while giving evidence at the trial, Mr Fairbrother said.

Photos of Mr Ormsby-Ratahi's injuries has been submitted as evidence earlier in the trial, but Mr Fairbrother suggested the injuries could have happened at the Mansfield St party.

Nick Dutch, representing Eruera's fellow accused Paul William Taki, said the jury could not assume that Taki had any prior knowledge of what Eruera would do.

"The point is, mere presence is not enough. There has to be participation."

Eruera had made a 25 second phone call to Taki before picking him up, with his wife Hyacin Eruera driving, to go to the Mansfield St party.

Mr Dutch said there was no evidence Eruera had conveyed his intentions to Taki during this phone call, or on the car trip to Mansfield St.

Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones said Taki and Hyacin Eruera were aware Hiakita Eruera had stabbed Mr Ormsby-Ratahi on Ohauiti Rd and both knew he had been using a knife at the Mansfield Rd party as well.

"One stab was enough. The stab wasn't one thrust at some unknown random on the way in [to the party]. It was targeted at Takena and intended to cause him bodily injury that he knew was likely to cause death."