KEY POINTS:
Police want to talk with the occupants of a Mercedes Benz car seen before the murder of an Auckland schoolboy at the weekend.
Augustine Akateuroa Borrell, 17, of Papatoetoe, an Auckland Grammar School student, died from a single stab to the chest after a group of youths who gatecrashed a party confronted him outside the Herne Bay party early yesterday.
It is believed the event was hosted by a daughter of the property owners, Auckland lawyer Jeffrey Morrison and his wife, Noeline, who are at the World Cup in France.
The party, supervised by an adult and attended between 30 and 40 people, was shut down shortly before midnight following the arrival of the uninvited young men, said Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Breach.
Mr Breach said today that witnesses had mentioned four young smartly-dressed men travelling in the Mercedes Benz car.
"We've been advised that these men approached party-goers on and near the Hamilton Rd address where up to 50 young people had gathered for a private celebration," Mr Breach said.
"At least one of the car's occupants has then used some sort of bat to assault some of those leaving the party. We need to speak with these young men to see what, if any, part they had in the fatal altercation with Augustine."
The men have been described as probably caucasian, well-dressed and possibly known to some of the party-goers.
Yeserday he said: "Augustine, like the majority of people, has heeded the request of the occupiers. They've walked away, they've been heading home and it looks as though it's just a tragedy at that stage."
The student was with one of his best mates when he died at the scene. The friend did not wish to comment when the Herald visited last night but his father said he was "doing okay".
Borrell family spokesman Victor Martin said Augustine, his nephew, appeared in typical good spirits when relatives saw him on Saturday afternoon during a day-long Cook Islands community rugby tournament in which he had played well.
Mr Martin hoped there would be no retribution for Augustine's killing "because we don't want any other parents to go through this".
Auckland Grammar acting headmaster Wayne Moore, who visited the family yesterday, said Augustine's father, Charlie, told him his son normally arrived home before midnight but wanted to stay out a little later on Saturday to watch the All Blacks' opening World Cup match on television.
Police are looking into whether the gate-crashers had gang connections and have been speaking to party-goers as they hunt the killers.
A knife suspected of being the murder weapon was found near Augustine's body. A bloody shirt was found outside the nearby Jervois Rd BP and police have taken the service station's security footage to scrutinise.
Detectives want party-goers or other people in the Hamilton Rd and Jervois Rd area to come forward with information.
They have also requested any photos taken on cellphones.
Speaking from France last night, Mr Morrison expressed his family's deepest condolences to the Borrells.
'HE WAS SO PROMISING'
Augustine Borrell was a modest boy who enjoyed boxing and rugby and was a member of his church choir.
Yesterday, his friends and family were struggling to understand how the schoolboy came to be fatally stabbed. Mitch Lovich, 16, said he and Augustine competed for the hooker position in Auckland Grammar's U85kg rugby team but were close friends.
Although Augustine, nick-named "August", was also a good boxer, he had a gentle nature, Mitch said.
Augustine was an intermediate middleweight boxer who was placed second in the North Island Golden Gloves tournament in Taupo in May. His coach, Grant Arkell of the Papatoetoe Boxing Club, said he was a "model student. You couldn't ask for anyone better than him. He was so promising."
Augustine will be remembered at a mass assembly at Auckland Grammar this morning.
Acting headmaster Wayne Moore said the Papatoetoe boy, who was the third-born of six children of Cook Islands couple Charlie and Agnes Borrell, had been a proud student of the school.
"He was always smiling. He was that sort of kid. He was involved at school. He wanted to do well."
Family spokesman Victor Martin said Augustine's parents and grandparents were distraught.
A constant procession of visitors arrived at the home yesterday to pay their respects.
- with NZPA
