KEY POINTS:
A lawyer for alleged double murderer Chris Kahui was to meet prison authorities last night to formulate a plan for keeping her client safe after he was yesterday jailed for bail breaches.
Judge James Rota, sitting in the Manukau District Court, remanded Kahui in custody after finding him guilty of violating bail conditions that prohibited him from drinking alcohol or being in the presence of children under 12 except when accompanied by his pastor.
The breaches occurred on Thursday night when he attended a party in the Auckland suburb of Glen Innes. His bail conditions had been renewed the previous day, when Kahui was ordered to stand trial in the High Court at Auckland for the murder of his infant twins Chris and Cru Kahui in June last year.
The 22-year-old faces up to 10 months in prison even before his High Court trial, which is tentatively scheduled for May or June next year.
Kahui's lead lawyer, Lorraine Smith, said last night her co-counsel, Michele Wilkinson-Smith, planned to talk to prison authorities as Kahui was "very, very frightened" at the prospect of a stint on remand.
Mrs Smith said she would likely make another bail application when Kahui appeared at a High Court call-over in early October, but until then, her client would have time to consider his position.
"He's going to pay a heavy penalty for breaches of bail. But bail is a privilege. The defence accepts no breaches can be taken lightly."
The two latest breaches came on top of a final warning issued in June after Kahui slept through a police bail check at his home.
A woman who hosted Thursday's party told the court she got a call from her cousin, the daughter of Kahui's pastor, asking if she could come for a visit, with Kahui and his sister Mona Kahui.
"She [the pastor's daughter] asked if she could bring a couple of boxes over. One box of Steinlager, one box of bourbon and cola."
The woman - who has name suppression - said her cousin had arrived with Kahui, Mona Kahui and her partner Stuart King about 8.20pm.
She said the group were drinking in the lounge as her children - aged 2 and 1 - played in the same room.
Kahui said nothing about not being able to drink or not being allowed near young children, she said.
An argument erupted when the woman's partner came home about 9pm and saw Kahui.
The partner - who also has name suppression - told the court he got home from haka practice to see "a whole bunch of people drinking on my doorstep. I was angry by Chris being at my house and my two boys being there."
He then told his partner to "get him the **** out of my house", before leaving the room. When he returned he saw Kahui sitting at a table, drinking, near his young son.
"There was a bottle in front of him ... It made me even more angry ... I thought he should have been gone out of my house."
Kahui's pastor said Kahui had become "very much involved" in the church since coming to live with him and his family. Judge Rota reserved the reasons for his decision.
