KEY POINTS:
The father of slain twins Chris and Cru Kahui did not want to call an ambulance after one of them was found to be having difficulty breathing, a court heard today.
The twins' uncle Stewart King, the brother of the twins' mother Macsyna King, said he was playing PlayStation in his room on the evening of June 12 last year when his partner Mona Kahui, the sister of Chris Kahui, ran into his room and told him that Cru had stopped breathing.
Mr King said he ran straight to the twins' nursery and saw father Chris Kahui, along with grandfather Banjo Kahui, in the room holding Cru.
Mr King said after he revived Cru, Banjo Kahui and Chris Kahui discussed whether they should call an ambulance or find Ms King.
Kahui wanted to try to find Ms King instead of calling an ambulance.
Chris Sonny Kahui, 22, is accused of murdering the babies. He denies the charges, which are the subject of a depositions hearing in the Manukau District Court.
Mr King told the court this morning he grabbed Cru off Kahui, while the other twin Chris remained in his cot, and sat on the couch rubbing the boy's back.
Cru was pale, and his lips were purple and he was not breathing, he said.
Mr King said everyone was "freaked out, scared" but Cru started to breath in "short bursts like he was sucking on a straw".
Cru's lungs sounded "queezy" and did not sound normal, he said.
Cru was also cold, Mr King told the court.
Mr King said Cru did not "get back to being completely normal" and when he tried to open his eyes they rolled to the back of his head.
As Cru began to breath again the family discussed whether to call an ambulance or whether to find Ms King, he said.
"Chris wanted to wait for Macsyna" while Banjo Kahui wanted to call an ambulance, he said.
Mr King said he took Cru into his room for about 15 minutes, while Kahui remained alone to look after his other son Chris, before Kahui came and took Cru back to the nursery.
Earlier Mr King told the court how he heard Kahui and Ms King arguing in the afternoon over whether Ms King should go out.
Kahui was unhappy and upset he could not visit his mother at Middlemore Hospital, having to stay at home to look after the twins instead, he said.
Kahui left the house for 15 minutes while he dropped his sister Tracey off at the hospital, he said.
At about 9pm Kahui, his father and his sister all went outside for a smoke, with Mr King joining them five minutes later, he said.
Mr King said he went back inside to his room and heard the others go back inside.
He did not know where people were in the house but said after a short time his partner Mona ran into his room "scared, frightened" and telling him that Cru had stopped breathing.
The hearing continues.
- NZPA
