Father acquitted of assault

Abhinesh Kumar Sharma. Photo / Dean Purcell

A man acquitted last year of murdering his 16-month-old nephew has again been found not guilty of crimes against children.

Abhinesh Kumar Sharma, 37, was yesterday acquitted of three charges of assaulting his twin sons in February and April 2007, when the boys were 4.

The Auckland District Court jury took less than 10 minutes to return its verdicts after the three-day hearing.

Mr Sharma had earlier been accused of the 2007 murder of his nephew Sachin Dhani, but was found not guilty at a High Court trial.

The jury in the latest hearing had not been told of the murder charge.

In the latest charges, it was alleged Mr Sharma hit the twins across the head and face with an open hand because they were playing noisily and misbehaving at a family gathering in Remuera.

The third charge related to an incident on Anzac Day 2007 where Mr Sharma was alleged to have smacked one of the twins so hard the child fell off his stool, then allegedly hit him about the neck and shoulders.

The assault charges were laid while detectives investigated Sachin's death. Mr Sharma and his wife Dorin were charged with the assaults before the murder charge was laid.

Mrs Sharma was acquitted in July.

One of Mr Sharma's accusers in the latest trial was Sachin's uncle, Rajesh Dhani. He claimed to have seen the Anzac Day assault.

The relationship between the families was heated after Mr Sharma's arrest and acquittal for murder.

He was smiling after yesterday's acquittals, telling the Weekend Herald he could now get on with his life.

He wanted the return of his children, who were taken from him while he faced charges. He and his wife know they will have to go to the Family Court to get them back.

"It's not quite finished yet."

Mr Sharma's lawyer, Maria Pecotic, said he always believed he would be found not guilty. "He told me 'God will show I am innocent', and that's proven to be the case."

Mr Sharma was not bitter. "It has been a big strain ... but [it] is over."