KEY POINTS:
Chris Kahui told police his one-year-old son was responsible for causing the injuries to his three-month-old twins, a court has been told.
The injuries were equivalent to that of a high velocity car crash, the court heard.
Crown prosecutor Simon Moore made the comments in his opening statement at the depositions hearing in Manukau District Court to decide whether Kahui, 22, will stand trial for the murder of his twin sons.
The hearing began after Judge Roy Wade gave a strict warning to media on their responsibility to ensure fair and accurate reporting of the hearing.
The warning came after a Sunday newspaper printed an article on Chris Kahui yesterday, which had "untested and speculative" information.
Judge Wade said the court had strong powers to deal with media who were in contempt of court.
Defence co-counsel Michele Wilkinson-Smith asked that in the wake of prejudicial media reporting, all evidence from the hearing be suppressed.
Mr Moore read a letter from the Solicitor-General in which he said he had "grave concerns" about the media coverage ahead of the hearing.
Chris and Cru Kahui died in hospital five days after they were admitted. They were killed either by a blow to their heads or by having their heads bashed against a solid object.
Their father Chris Kahui was charged with their murder four months after they died and after police accused the family of "stonewalling" the inquiry.
The twins died in Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland in June last year.
Scans taken when they were first admitted to Middlemore Hospital showed both suffered from extensive brain injuries and that Chris also had a broken leg.
Both babies suffered from extensive subdural bleeding and broken ribs.
Mr Moore said the injuries were of the kind received in high velocity car crashes.
He told the court the babies received their injuries while in the care of their father on June 12, 2006, when their mother Macsyne King was out visiting her sister.
Mr Moore said the babies were born nine weeks premature and their injuries would have occurred when they were one-week-old, if they had been delivered at full-term.
Kahui gave three extensive interviews to police where he said his eldest son Shane was responsible for the injuries, by "whacking" them before retracting the allegation in the third interview, Mr Moore said.
The Crown is expected to call 18 witnesses and the hearing has been set down for two weeks.
- NZPA
