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A teenager kept backing away from a man moments before he was stabbed to death after being caught tagging in his South Auckland neighbourhood , one of his relatives has told a court.
Pihema Clifford Cameron, 15, died after being stabbed in Manurewa on January 26.
Bruce Emery, 50, who is charged with his murder, today appeared at a depositions hearing in Manukau District Court.
The 16-year-old relative, who has name suppression, said the pair were drinking and smoking cannabis before they took several spray cans out to tag neighbourhood properties.
The teenager said he and Pihema had spent the afternoon with friends at a house in Papakura, where the group had drunk beer and alcopops.
Pihema had about three to five bottles of alcohol before going to the beach at Kawakawa where they both went swimming and smoked cannabis.
They returned to their friend's house about 8.30pm and continued drinking until returning to Pihema's house in Mahia Road, Manurewa.
The pair watched the ending of a movie and went out to tag the street, about 10.15pm.
Pihema had two spray cans in his bag and one in his hand while his relative also had one.
Pihema tagged about five properties, including fences, power boxes and a window as they walked along Mahia Rd, he said.
After resting for about 15 minutes on some grass on the side of the road the pair walked back up the road until they reached the corner of Mahia and Sykes Rd.
Pihema went to tag a power box when they saw a light on in a house and heard a man call out "Oi! What are you doing?"
The teenager said they started running down the road but Pihema was having trouble keeping up.
The man caught up with the pair and came right up into Pihema's face. He kept trying to back away "pretty fast" but the man kept walking up to him, he said.
Pihema tripped over the kerb and got up as quickly as he could "but he just kept coming and coming".
Pihema had a spray can in his hand and a clenched fist as he was backing away and the teenager also tried to use a can, which was empty, to get the man away from Pihema.
The man then tried to punch the teenager, swinging at him with a black handled knife.
The man "punched out and stabbed" Pihema on the right-side of his chest and ran away, he said.
Pihema told the teenager "He got me, he stabbed me."
"I threw a can at him [Emery] and yelled at him that he stabbed him but he ran away."
The teenager said he thought Pihema was fine until he noticed the amount of blood covering him.
"He was stumbling everywhere.
"He just went down."
The teenager said as he dialled for an ambulance it sounded as if Pihema was "trying to breath but blood was stuck in his throat".
About 20 supporters of Pihema filled the public gallery, with several breaking down when they heard the teenager describe the moment he was stabbed.
Two Justices of the Peace will this afternoon rule whether the case will be committed to trial.
- NZPA
