Teen's last hours recalled

One of the final memories some of Liberty Templeman's many teenaged friends have is of her smiling and laughing while she was sitting on the bicycle handlebars of the boy now standing trial for her murder, the High Court at Whangarei has heard.

The teenagers, among the last people to see Liberty, 15, in the hours before she was killed, were called to give evidence on day four of the trial against her alleged killer yesterday.

The accused, 16, is charged with murdering and indecently assaulting Liberty on November 1, 2008.

It is alleged the boy, then aged 14, hit Liberty, knocking her unconscious and strangling her before dragging her and leaving her in the stream where she drowned.

Court suppression orders prevent the Herald from revealing any of the teenagers' names.

Separately appearing in the stand yesterday, the friends described a fun afternoon hanging out with each other.

Several of them had been excited and surprised to see Liberty - who was in Kerikeri visiting friends for the weekend three weeks after her family moved to Auckland.

The teenagers were gathered at the driveway of an Inlet Rd property where a barbecue was taking place when they decided to go the supermarket for soft drinks.

A 16-year-old girl said she and Liberty were "doubled" - each sitting on the handlebars of two of the boys' bicycles, with Liberty on the accused boy's bicycle - as they travelled to the store. The teenagers bought soft drinks and chocolates and returned to the property.

Liberty wanted to return to the supermarket. The accused boy said he would go back with her.

Forensic scientist Rian Morgan-Smith told the court of discovering blood on an area of flattened grass near her body.

He showed the jury what he said were diluted blood stains on the accused boy's shirt - allegedly found in a plastic bag hidden in bushes outside his bedroom window.

He also showed the jury photographs of where possible blood stains were found in and around the boy's former home using Luminol testing, which shows such areas by glowing.

The trial, before Justice Raynor Asher, continues today and is expected to take two weeks.