One man guilty in killing of runaway

A High Court jury has blamed Thomas Tihema Christie alone for the manslaughter of 16-year-old runaway Shaun Finnerty-Gallagher, who was found almost naked, beaten and dead in a Christchurch park in February last year.

Christie reacted badly in the court at Christchurch yesterday when the jury delivered its verdicts after spending more than 14 hours since Tuesday deliberating.

Christie, 26, was found guilty of manslaughter and indecent assault, but co-accused Sonny Avon Rehu, 32, was found not guilty.

Christie swore and slammed out through the door to the cells, to be held in custody awaiting sentencing by the trial judge, Justice Graham Panckhurst, on December 4.

Rehu, who had spent about 21 months in custody, was released.

Both men were unemployed and living rough in streets and parks at the time of their arrest.

They were originally charged with assault, but the charge was later upgraded to murder. It was downgraded to manslaughter on Monday after a ruling by Justice Panckhurst following legal argument at the end of the Crown case.

Mark Zarifeh and Barnaby Hawes appeared for the Crown.

Mark Callaghan and Kerry Cook appeared for Rehu, and Margaret Sewell and Ruth Buddicom appeared for Christie.

The jury was told how Shaun Finnerty-Gallagher had been drinking and stealing with the group in the hours leading up to his death.

The Crown said Christie was angry with him for "narking" when a shoplifting raid on a liquor store went wrong.

The jury heard evidence that Christie had afterwards smashed the 16-year-old's nose with a heavy blow at Auburn Reserve.

The Crown said that he had died of positional asphyxiation at the park after the beating, because of the way he was lying, his high level of intoxication, and the fact that his airways were compromised by the blood and swelling from the broken nose.

Justice Panckhurst thanked the jury, saying it had been exemplary for its patience, good humour and attention throughout the four-week trial.

- NZPA