Appeals launched over Howick homicide

Two men found guilty following the death of Daryl Graydon in the Auckland suburb of Howick in December 2007 were today back in court appealing their convictions.

The men, both 20, and both with name suppression, appeared via video link as their lawyers argued their cases at a Court of Appeal hearing in Auckland today.

One of the prisoners, who was found guilty of murder at their earlier High Court trial, was appealing both his conviction and his sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 11 years.

The other prisoner, who was found guilty of manslaughter, was appealing just his conviction.

Mr Graydon was stabbed to death during a night out in Howick, southeast Auckland, in December 2007.

The prisoners have not denied they caused Mr Graydon's death but have said they were not guilty of the charges they were convicted of.

A jury at the original trial was told the accused men had got in an argument with Mr Graydon and his colleague Campbell Sussex, which ended with Mr Graydon punching one of the accused men.

The accused men then walked to one of their homes, where they picked up knives and returned to confront Mr Graydon and Mr Sussex. The man who had been punched earlier stabbed Mr Graydon fatally in the stomach and the back.

The three Appeal Court judges today reserved their decision.

- NZPA