Christie's knifepoint ordeal

Tracey Marceau, with husband Brian, says hearing in court yesterday of the ‘unspeakable acts’ committed against their daughter Christie was ‘painfully horrendous’. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Youth accused of murdering teen admits earlier kidnap and assault.

This time last year, Tracey Marceau never imagined she would be sitting in a courtroom facing the youth charged with murdering her 18-year-old daughter.

But yesterday, Mrs Marceau was in the High Court at Auckland to hear Akshay Anand Chand, 19, plead guilty to kidnapping and assaulting Christie two months before he allegedly stabbed her to death at her family's North Shore home.

"Being there was emotionally draining," Mrs Marceau told the Herald. "Sitting there and hearing him admit to charges of unspeakable acts against our child was so painfully horrendous. But at least he has pleaded guilty."

Suppression orders have finally been lifted more than a year after the kidnapping, meaning the Herald can now publish the details of the ordeal Chand put Christie through.

At the time he allegedly stabbed her to death, on November 7 last year, he was on bail and facing charges of kidnapping Christie, threatening to do grievous bodily harm to her and assaulting her with intent to rape.

Next month, Chand will enter a plea of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. But yesterday, he pleaded guilty to the earlier charges.

Christie's father, Brian, and sister, Heather, had never seen Chand in person until yesterday in court.

The family, all wearing Christie's favourite colour, turquoise, were supported in court by friends to hear Crown Solicitor Simon Moore, SC, read the police summary of the allegations against Chand.

About 10.20am last September, Chand called Christie from his house, telling her that if she did not come to his home he would hurt himself.

"He subsequently went to the kitchen and armed himself with a 20cm-long black plastic-handled kitchen knife, which he secreted in the waistband of his tracksuit pants," Mr Moore read from the summary.

Fearing for Chand's safety, Christie got in her car and rushed to his house. They sat in the lounge and Chand talked about his "issues".

He became agitated, walked over to her and snatched her cellphone from her hand. He stood over her, pulled out the knife and said:"If you don't obey me, I will knife you. If you scream, I will knife you. If you try and escape, I will knife you."

He demanded Christie take off her clothes, and when she refused, said: "If you don't, then I will knife you."

She did as she was told and then sat, too frightened to move, while he talked for another 35 minutes about his problems. Chand then handed back her clothes and cellphone. He said that once she left the house he would kill himself.

Fearing for her life, Christie fled to her home and told her family what had happened. Chand was arrested later that day and charged.

He appeared in the North Shore District Court the next day and was remanded in custody.

However, after a string of hearings and despite strenuous opposition from the police, he was released on bail. He was ordered not to contact Christie or go to her home, and placed on a 24-hour curfew.

But 32 days later, Chand allegedly went to the Marceau home and killed Christie. She died in her mother'sarms.

Extensive suppression orders prevent the Herald from revealing any further details about the case.