It was murder, says father of man killed by concrete block

Chris Currie's father says the teenager who killed his son by dropping a concrete block on to his car should have been found guilty of murder.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the verdict, Wayne Currie said he felt let down by the manslaughter verdict given to 15-year-old Ngatai Rewiti on Thursday.

The jury decided Rewiti did not commit murder when he dropped the 8kg block from an Otahuhu overbridge on to Chris Currie's car on the Southern Motorway in August last year.

But Wayne Currie believes the jury chose the easy option.

"I actually wasn't surprised by the result. It is the soft option, an easier, safer option. I think it all stems back to the law."

Mr Currie had the ordeal of identifying his son, and told of the horror of looking at the body while it was still in the driver's seat of the mangled red Honda Civic.

"You have flashbacks and it rips your guts out."

Christopher Currie was driving from Taupo to his father's North Shore home when Rewiti dropped the block. Rewiti's friends have told police that August 19 was not the first time the teenager had thrown rocks off the overbridge.

What makes things worse for Wayne Currie is that Rewiti's family have never expressed any remorse or sorrow for what happened.

"They've had plenty of chance to say something but there has been nothing."

Christopher Currie would have turned 21 next Sunday. "I'll probably celebrate it quietly with family and friends and just light a candle for him," said his father. "We were going to have a bit of a party for him. It's really for the living."

His son's mates at the Taupo rugby club have embroidered Christopher's nickname, 50/50, on their shirts - he seldom drank but when he did it was half bourbon and half Coke.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Rewiti is mentally disordered, unable to communicate properly and might have played to television cameras to his detriment if his name had been published or he had been filmed during the trial.

Rewiti had name suppression until the jury found him guilty.

The secrecy order was granted because a psychiatrist found Rewiti met the diagnostic criteria for several mental disorders and had limited verbal abilities. An examination had shown the 15-year-old has a frontal lobe abnormality which affects his ability to concentrate.

The Herald, TVNZ and TV3 applied to have Rewiti's name published and asked the court for him to be filmed and photographed during the trial.

The application was turned down by Justice Helen Winkelmann.

Her decision and the evidence of Dr Craig Immelman had been suppressed.

Yesterday afternoon, the judge lifted suppression on most of her decision, revealing the court had been told that any attention which focused on Rewiti would elevate his sense of self-importance and self-aggrandisement.

Television was an important part of Rewiti's life and he was particularly susceptible to influences of the media, Justice Winkelmann's decision said.

She has suppressed Dr Immelman's actual evidence.

In allowing the publication of parts of her decision, Justice Winkelmann said it allowed proper public understanding and scrutiny of her ruling.

Rewiti is to be sentenced on September 6 for the manslaughter of Mr Currie.