Teen charged with murder

An 18-year-old will appear in Hamilton District Court today charged with murder after another teen died on Friday, eight days after being stabbed.

Edward Ngatai-Emery, 18, was one of two people stabbed during a fight involving a number of people at Pine Avenue, Melville, on August 6.

Police said the battling groups were believed to have gang connections.

Mr Ngatai-Emery was discharged from Waikato Hospital three days later but was re-admitted on Thursday and died yesterday afternoon from what appeared to be complications from two stab wounds, a police spokesman said.

Police had been investigating since the fight took place but had been hampered by the limited usefulness of many witnesses, the police spokesman said.

"We had a lot of trouble gaining any traction in that investigation because of the general level of intoxication of witnesses and also quite a few people were very unwilling to talk to police."

Police also managed to interview Mr Ngatai-Emery before his death, but he did not provide a great deal of information.

Investigation head Detective Inspector Greg Nicholls told the Waikato times police were happy the arrest was made in a timely manner.

"We're hopeful that this arrest will defuse tensions that have been growing in Hamilton since August 6 between two opposing groups."

- NZPA