Boy accused tells of chance meeting with murder victim

Liberty Templeman. Photo / Supplied

A softly spoken youth accused of the slaying of Liberty Templeman today began giving evidence in his own defence at the High Court in Whangarei.

The accused, who has name suppression, has pleaded not guilty to indecently assaulting and murdering the 15-year-old in Kerikeri on November 1, 2008. He was arrested five days after Liberty's body was found.

Liberty, also known as Libby, died from drowning.

Today, the youth told the court about meeting Liberty and walking with her down to a bridge over the Wairoa stream at Kerikeri.

They went down and took off their shoes and started wading across. He said he slipped and accidentally knocked her over.

He apologised but she wouldn't accept it.

Opening the defence case, the accused's counsel, Catherine Cull told the jury they needed to keep an open mind and view the case dispassionately, as judges.

"It is really, really important for everybody that you keep an open mind and listen now to what evidence the defence is going to call when you make your decision and you make your deliberations in the jury room. It is just as important that you give weight to what you hear and what you are about to hear.

"[This] has been a tragedy for everybody," Ms Cull said.

"It is not just a tragedy for the victim and her family, it's a tragedy for the accused, his family and the community as a whole."

Earlier, more details of the accused's version-of-events leading up to Ms Templeman's murder emerged in a video interview with him.

The final of three videos was shown this morning.

In the video, the boy tells police that he and Liberty had walked down towards a stream on the outskirts of the town.

He told police that Liberty was filling in two hours before she was to meet another friend at 9pm and, because the pair had never been down to the creek, they followed a small path towards the river.

He said he slipped on a rock and accidentally knocked Liberty over.

"She thought I had pushed her over on purpose," he told the detective interviewing him.

"She hopped out, grabbed her shoes, put them on and then she started walking away. I got out. I grabbed her and I said: 'It was an accident, I'm sorry' ... but then she hit me and she kept hitting me cause I didn't let go, and I hit her back and kept hitting her.

"I got scared and angry um, and when I hit her the last time she fell on the ground. She didn't move and um, but she was still breathing."

The boy said he was worried that Liberty would tell police.

"So um, I strangled her, and I pulled her into the river and where no one could find her, and pulled down her clothes so if they do find her it looks like a rape, or someone else."

The boy, who has remained emotionless throughout the trial which began last Monday, showed no emotion watching the video, but looked away from it several times.

The final police witness, the officer in charge of the investigation Inspector Marty Ruth, is giving evidence this morning.

Following his evidence, the boy's defence will begin to be explained by his lawyer, Catherine Cull.

The trial, before Justice Raynor Asher and a jury of six men and six women, is expected to continue until Friday.

- with NZPA