8 Nov 2010

Kahui inquest adjourned

8:38 pm on 8 November 2010

An inquest into the deaths of the Kahui twins has been adjourned to allow medical experts to evaluate witness testimony.

On Monday afternoon a family relative, April Martin, described feeding Cru Kahui the day before the twins were admitted to hospital.

Ms Martin says he was crying in his cot when she first arrived, and she fed him.

She says she cradled him in her arms he appeared small, quiet and very sleepy but there didn't appear to be anything wrong with him.

Three-month-old Chris and Cru Kahui died after being admitted to a children's hospital in Auckland in June 2006.

The boys' father, Chris Kahui, was acquitted of their murder following a High Court trial in 2008.

On Tuesday, coroner Garry Evans will be taken on a site visit by police to South Auckland.

Doctors will assess testimony from family members before giving evidence when the inquest continues early next year.

Earlier, the twins' paternal grandfather said his son did not do anything which might have injured them.

Chris Kahui's father, Banjo Kahui, continued giving evidence at an inquest in Auckland District Court inquest on Monday.

Last week, he admitted that he initially lied to police about seeing one of the twins stop breathing to protect his son.

But on Monday Mr Kahui said he would never cover up for Chris Kahui if he had caused the injuries.

A fiery debate then ensued between Mr Evans and Chris Kahui's lawyer, Michelle Wilkinson-Smith, after the coroner asked Banjo Kahui whether hypothetically Chris Kahui might have broken down and admitted injuring the twins.

Banjo Kahui answered that if his son had admitted to such a thing, he would have remembered it.