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A Northland woman has denied murdering her partner with a steak knife.
A jury in the High Court at Whangarei yesterday was told Rangi Marie Reti killed her partner and friend of eight years with a knife at their Kawakawa home on September 29 last year.
Reti, 38, a cleaner from Russell, has pleaded not guilty to murder and a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The ripped and blood-stained shirt worn by her partner, Anthony Barry Boyd Garvey, was on display in the courtroom and was part of police evidence.
Defence lawyer Murray Gibson said there was no dispute Reti had killed Mr Garvey, but it was manslaughter, not murder.
Crown prosecutor Mike Smith said Reti plunged the knife through the chest of 27-year-old Mr Garvey, which sank in 15cm and severed the aorta and punctured his lung.
He told the jury of six men and six women the couple had been involved in a drinking session at a neighbouring house in Kawakawa.
Throughout the day they had argued and evidence would be given that Reti was seen chasing Mr Garvey with a knife.
St John ambulance officers would testify they had been called to the house about 4pm to help Mr Garvey who had a stab wound to his thigh. His trousers were soaked in blood but he was reluctant to be treated and refused hospital.
About an hour later they returned to find Mr Garvey lying on the lounge floor with a stab through his chest. Reti had dialled 111 and those calls would be played back to the jury.
The jury would hear from Reti during the trial, that is set down for two weeks, and evidence would be given about her troubled background which had its origins when she was eight and sexually abused by a family friend.
"The tragic events that occurred on this day related to the mental disorder she had," Mr Gibson said.
- NZPA
