A 14-year-old boy has been found guilty of manslaughter for a fatal stabbing at the Dunedin bus hub last year.
The jury this morning reached a verdict in the case of a 14-year-old accused of the murder of 16-year-old Enere Taana-McLaren at the Dunedin bus hub on May 23 last year.
The jury deliberated for two full days at the Dunedin High Court before breaking for the weekend and coming back today.
The teenager was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Justice Robert Osborne commended the behaviour of the public gallery throughout the trial and asked for their continued respect when the verdict was read.
The defendant stood in the dock as the verdict was read in a green striped football-jersey-style shirt, flanked by Corrections staff.
Several members of the jury were visibly emotional as the verdict was read.
The defendant, teary-eyed, smiled at the jury following the reading of the verdict.
Defence counsel Anne Stevens KC had argued the stabbing was an act of self-defence, highlighting the accused’s history of trauma and fear of Taana-McLaren.
She told the jury the defendant acted out of a desperate attempt to protect himself and should not be found guilty of murder.
However, Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said the attack was deliberate and intentional, pointing to evidence that the accused had chased Taana-McLaren before delivering the fatal stab wound.
The Crown argued that self-defence was not a credible justification for the accused’s actions.
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said there had been no issues since the defendant had been on bail proceeding the trial, and recommended the same conditions.
The defendant was remanded on bail until sentencing, and name suppression remains in place.
Justice Osborne commended the defendant for his behaviour throughout the trial.
Throughout the trial, the court was shown extensive CCTV and cellphone footage of the fatal stabbing, and heard from multiple witnesses, including the defendant.
The court heard that on the day of the stabbing, the defendant had been sent home from school earlier after being accused of vaping, which he maintained was a case of mistaken identity.
Later, he messaged a friend, expressing anger toward a school prefect before seeking permission from his mother to take a bus, which required a transfer at the bus hub.
There, he encountered a friend who gave him a balaclava in exchange for sweets.
The defendant told the court he wore it without specific intent but pulled it down to expose his face when thanking the driver.
Upon arriving at the hub, he had his first interaction with Taana-McLaren, who insulted him, prompting a verbal exchange before tensions escalated.
The defendant told the court Taana-McLaren initiated a confrontation, stomping his feet and appearing ready for a fight.
He told the court he had started carrying a knife after a previous assault and robbery.
When Taana-McLaren allegedly dared him to use it, the defendant claimed he only intended to drive him away.
CCTV footage captured the pair’s initial confrontation escalating into a physical altercation that spilled into the middle of the road, where a security guard attempted to intervene.
A shiny object was seen flying from the scuffle, later identified as a knife.
Cellphone footage captured by a witness included exclamations that someone had been stabbed. T
Taana-McLaren was seen lifting his shirt, clutching his abdomen, and eventually collapsing on the footpath.
The defendant will be sentenced in Dunedin on July 11.
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The victim's flatmate describes how he spoke to him only a few hours earlier.