Man guilty of stepson's murder

File photo / NZ Herald

A Turangi man was this morning found guilty of murdering his stepson by stabbing him with a boning knife.

Freezing worker Douglas Kotahi Ham pleaded not guilty in the High Court in Rotorua to murdering father-of-three James Samuel Galloway who died from a single stab wound from the knife in May last year.

The prosecution said Ham killed Mr Galloway after luring him a remote spot near Lake Rotoaira, near Turangi.

But Ham told the court he had the knife with him because he had wanted to kill himself earlier in the morning after waking to find himself "fondling" his stepson as he slept.

He claimed MR Galloway took the knife from him and accidently stabbed himself after stumbling on a rock.

He thought Mr Galloway was playing a practical joke when he saw him fall.

The jury returned a guilty verdict this morning after the trial ended yesterday afternoon.

Ham was remanded in custody for sentencing.

- NZPA