Student accused of stabbing teacher named

Tae Won Chung in the dock in Auckland District Court today. Photo / NZPA

A 17-year-old Avondale College student has been denied bail after appearing in the Auckland District Court today.

The international student, who can now be named, is accused of stabbing teacher David Warren during a Japanese class at the school yesterday.

Tae Won Chung appeared in a white police boiler suit with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him at a hearing this afternoon.

His lawyer Miss Scott applied to have Chung bailed to his homestay family's residence where he has been living for the past two years.

She said Chung was 17 years-old and had no previous convictions, he would be happy to have a 24-hour curfew and not to be allowed near Avondale College.

Miss Scott said Chung's father has been notified of the arrest and is on his way out to New Zealand from Korea. However his mother, who Miss Scott says suffers from a heart condition, has not yet been informed.

However police opposed the bail saying there was a chance he could interfere with witnesses.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Sue Newlands said there were concerns about the "level of premeditation".

"The fact that he discussed it with other people and he's gone to school with a knife and carried this out," Ms Newlands said.

Judge Christopher Field declined bail on the grounds of the "rather bizarre circumstances" alleged by police and that Chung is set to undergo psychiatric treatment to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.

He said there could be a chance that Chung is bailed after his next appearance, next Thursday.

Judge Field said there was no issue of identification and that the police case is that the attack happened in front of a large group of people.

He said he was also mindful that the views of Mr Warren had not yet been obtained by police.

He said there was a large amount of public interest in the case and not publishing Chung's name and photograph would be "delaying the inevitable".

Chung's homestay family declined to talk to the media as they left court this afternoon.

However at the court this morning, Korean consulate staff member Hak Jun Lee said the schoolboy's family were on their way to New Zealand from South Korea.

One member of the boy's family told nzherald.co.nz that the accused had been in New Zealand for two years and at Avondale College all of 2008.

She said Chung was also in Mr Warren's class last year. Avondale College yesterday said the student had been at the school just three or four weeks.