5 Jun 2015

Dairy killing pair had plans to 'get rich'

4:29 pm on 5 June 2015

A witness has told the High Court in Auckland his friend thought he would get rich from robbing the local dairy but he got nothing, and is now on trial for murder.

The witness, now aged 15, told the police his friend was also unsure about taking part in the fatal stabbing and at one point said the robbery might change his life.

Two boys are on trial for the killing of dairy owner Arun Kumar, 57.

A 14 year-old faces a charge of murder and a 13 year old has been charged with manslaughter. Both face charges of assault with intent to injure and have name suppression.

In a recorded police interview played at the High Court in Auckland today, the witness said his friend was forced into the robbery which was planned by a younger boy while they were watching movies.

He said on the way to the dairy there were discussions of how to carry out the robbery. He said the boys decided to do the robbery "hard and fast".

The witness said the boys discussed the robbery beforehand and thought they would get $200. The older accused said that would make them rich.

But he said it was the younger accused - who was just 12 at the time of the robbery - who was talking about the dairy owners as soft targets.

The witness said the pair armed themselves with weapons, the older boy took a knife while the younger boy chose a pole.

He described the pair as getting ready to "do something bad".

Earlier the witness denied being able to see anything of the robbery itself, but later admitted to seeing the stabbing.

He said the older boy who had the knife demanded money.

The younger boy who had the pole got it taken off him by the woman inside the shop and he ran off. He said that left his friend in there by himself.

The witness said it was then his friend stabbed the dairy owner three times, including in the neck. He said a short time later he heard screaming from the woman.

The dairy owner was on the floor bleeding while his wife was calling out "no, my husband".

The witness said his friend ran out of the shop, panicking, with blood on his arm.

His evidence will continue on Monday and he is yet to be cross-examined.