Lost appeal sees knife killers named

Daryl Fraser. Photo / Doug Sherring

Two teenage killers can finally be named, more than 2 years after Auckland man Daryl Graydon was stabbed and left to die in a street.

Suppression orders prevented the names of Sean Ira Selby, now 20, and Daryl Lee Fraser, 20, being reported before now because Fraser was facing charges over another attack committed months before Mr Graydon was killed.

Fraser was found not guilty of murdering Mr Graydon but guilty of manslaughter and jailed for six years.

Selby was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He must serve a minimum of 11 years before being eligible for parole.

To ensure fair trials, the juries were not allowed to know of the different cases. Fraser was last month found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to the earlier attack. He will be sentenced in August.

He and Selby appealed against their convictions for Mr Graydon's death. Last night the Court of Appeal released its decision dismissing both appeals and the suppression orders were lifted.

Mr Graydon, 24, was stabbed early on December 8, 2007, while walking along Ridge Rd, Howick.

Fraser and Selby were walking home that night when they came across a group outside a party and got into a fight. They went back home, planned revenge and got knives.

They caught up with Mr Graydon and challenged him, saying, "Knifey, knifey," and brandishing the knives. He ran but was caught and stabbed five times.

Before their clash with Mr Graydon, Fraser was facing charges for an August 2007 assault on a bus.

He was dressed as a lion and on his way to a fancy dress party when he "marched" to the back of the bus and stabbed a man with a broken bottle.

Selby was also on the bus, dressed as Aladdin, but was not charged. The court was told Fraser heard someone sniggering about them. He reacted by "marching" to the back of the bus and said: "Where do you want to be stabbed?"

Crown prosecutor Ian Brookie said the young men whom Fraser was threatening tried to defuse the situation but Fraser had "already settled on a course of action".