KEY POINTS:
Double murder-accused Chris Kahui may have to wait almost a year before standing trial for the murder of his twin boys, Chris and Cru.
The 22-year-old was yesterday sent to the High Court for trial, after Judge Roy Wade ruled he had a prima facie case to answer, following an eight-day Manukau District Court depositions hearing. He was remanded on bail to a call-over on October 3.
The trial is expected to be held about May or June next year, and is tipped to run for up to a month. More than 70 prosecution witnesses are likely to be called.
The three-month-olds were admitted to Auckland's Starship hospital on June 13, 2006, with injuries that included brain haemorrhages, broken bones and retinal bleeding.
Both boys died, hours apart, five days later.
Kahui is accused of murdering them while their mother, Macsyna King, was away from their Mangere home.
Kahui maintained his not guilty plea when the charges were formally put to him at yesterday's hearing.
In medical evidence made public yesterday, Starship consultant general pediatrician Patrick Kelly gave his opinion of the twins' injuries, based on a review of medical files.
"In my opinion, in the absence of any history of repeated major accidental trauma, Chris' injuries are diagnostic of repeated episodes of child abuse ... The symptoms described for his twin brother Cru, the night before admission, would be typical of the effect of a recent head injury ... in an infant of this age."
The court earlier heard evidence that baby Cru had suddenly stopped breathing the night before both boys were admitted to hospital.
The court was also shown the last hours of a video-taped police interview with Kahui, carried out in October last year. On it, Kahui gave his reasons why he had told people he intended to hand himself in.
"The reason I had for ... handing myself in was 'cos I felt it was my fault, in a way, that I couldn't protect my kids.
"And it was never for any pity or anything, it was just ... I felt I had nothing to live for. And I just wanted everything to go away."
Kahui also told Detective Sergeant Chris Barry how his 1-year-old son Shane had stood on the twins.
"When I put them on the couch he was ... standing on them, but he didn't mean to, so I took him off."
Mr Barry then asked if he was blaming Shane for the boys' injuries.
"No, I'm not. I'm just saying that he could have whacked them in the face, or something."
He told Mr Barry he had asked numerous people, including his father, sister, partner and brother-in-law, in an attempt to find out what had happened to his sons.
He said he had gone public about the deaths of his boys after being put "on the spot" by the media.
"I am their father and I couldn't protect them.
"And I wanted to know what the hell was going on."
Kahui told Mr Barry he believed the boys were injured at the same time, but had no idea why anyone would want to hurt them.
"I can't even picture it ... I've never hit my boys.
"I've never hit Shane, I've never hit any of them."
Following yesterday's hearing Kahui's father, "Banjo" Kahui, said he welcomed the opportunity to clear the family name at trial.
"I know my people didn't do it, I will tell you that right now."
