Dairy stabbing: Teen accused seeks bail

Arun Kumar.

A 13-year-old charged with the murder of a West Auckland shopkeeper faces a wait to find out whether he will get bail.

The boy - whose name is suppressed - is accused of killing 57-year-old Arun Kumar in June at the Railside Dairy in Henderson, which the victim owned with his wife.

A bail application for the teenager was heard in the High Court at Auckland today but legislation restricts the media from publishing the content of that hearing.

The application made by the boy's lawyer Maria Pecotic was opposed by the Crown and Justice Rebecca Ellis reserved her decision after lengthy submissions.

Despite the defendant's absence from court, several members of his family were in the public gallery.

The teen is currently in the care of a youth facility.

His co-accused, a 12-year-old boy whose name is also suppressed, was initially charged only with assaulting the father of two with intent to rob but police later added a count of manslaughter against him.

It is understood Mr Kumar was stabbed in the neck in front of his wife.

She rushed to neighbouring shops on Great North Rd but paramedics were unable to revive her husband.

The two boys are due to stand trial at the High Court in November.