17 Dec 2008

Tagger killer denied bail

2:28 pm on 17 December 2008

Auckland businessman Bruce Emery, convicted of the manslaughter of a teenage tagger, has been denied bail, though his lawyer says he may appeal.

Emery, 50, fatally stabbed Pihema Cameron, 15, in January when he caught him spray-painting his garage door in Manurewa.

He was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter at the High Court in Auckland on Friday.

Emery will be sentenced in February, and had been seeking bail until then.

At a hearing in the High Court on Wednesday, Justice Williams said he should be kept in custody because the case was a homicide and likely to result in a jail term.

He suppressed the arguments for and against release.

Pihema's mother, Leanne Cameron, said she was relieved at the decision because it had been upsetting for her family to see Emery around the neighbourhood when he was bailed pending trial.

Defence lawyer Chris Comesky said he might appeal against the bail ruling.