Partygoers give chase after stab victim collapses

A group of young people thought a Manurewa teen had been punched in the stomach when he slumped to the ground late on Saturday night.

It was only as the 18-year-old started bleeding that they realised he had been fatally stabbed in the chest.

As the young man lay dying on Mahia Rd, some of the youths flagged down a passing motorist for help, while others chased the person they believed was responsible for the stabbing.

Detective Senior Sergeant Gary Lendrum said the dead man, who is expected to be named today, was one of several drunken youths who had gathered on Mahia Rd late on Saturday night.

Many of them had come from a party in a nearby road which was broken up by an adult after some uninvited guests turned up.

Mr Lendrum said the victim, who had not attended the party, had been drinking. It is believed he said something to a 19-year-old who was also out mingling with people on the road.

The 19-year-old allegedly retaliated by stabbing the victim in the chest and running off.

"It was all over and done within a split second," said Mr Lendrum. "Most people there just thought it was a punch. It was only when the guy slumped to the ground and blood was pouring out that they realised he had been injured."

Mr Lendrum said several young people flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call an ambulance. Others chased the 19-year-old to a nearby address. He was let into the house, which was not his own, and the people inside called the police - concerned by the youths still outside.

The 19-year-old was taken away for questioning while police cordoned off the crime scene, at the Great South Rd end of Mahia Rd.

Yesterday morning the street remained cordoned off with orange plastic cones. A blue tent housed the body of the victim while police and scientists from Environmental, Science and Research scoured the area for clues.

The Sunday morning calm and orderly police investigation was a far cry from the night before, according to neighbours, who reported scores of drunken youths partying, swearing and shouting.

One Christmas Rd woman, who did not want to be named, said she looked through a net curtain and "freaked out" at 20 or more youths yelling and shouting across the road near the two homes being forensically tested.

She was too scared to go outside for a cigarette, saying her five children, aged 15 months to 10 years, were scared and crying.

Another Christmas Rd resident, who did not want to be named, said teenage parties with lots of swearing, laughing and shouting were nothing new for the area. There had been three parties at one house in the past week.

Wayne and Linda Horsfall said that on Saturday night Mahia Rd was full of groups of teenagers yelling and screaming. At one point the owner of a boat shop confronted three youths tagging his building. The youths turned on him with a length of timber and chased him down the road.

Mr Horsfall said the man jumped over the fence of his Mahia Rd house to get away from the youths and got attacked by his rottweiler. Fortunately the man only had his trousers ripped.

Linda Horsfall said boredom was behind gangs of youths roaming the streets, getting drunk, yahooing and tagging.

A 19-year-old has been arrested in connection with the teen's murder and is due to appear in the Manukau District Court today.