The peace of Easter in Oamaru last year was shattered when Exe St was cordoned off after a teenager was stabbed, a team of 15 police launching a homicide investigation.
William Lewis (16) died on the footpath a few minutes after being stabbed three times in the back about 9.45pm on April 1, despite efforts by the public and emergency services to revive him.
Mr Lewis was living in Oamaru and working at Kurow, after being educated at Opihi College in Temuka.
Police quickly achieved a result, the next day - Good Friday - arresting another Oamaru teenager, Daniel Ethan Smith (now 17), and charging him with murder.
Yesterday, Smith was sentenced in the High Court at Timaru to life imprisonment for the murder of Mr Lewis.
The tragedy was an example of the dangers of people carrying knives, then being faced with a situation where they used them; an issue that has been raised by judges in other courts.
During sentencing yesterday, both Timaru High Court Justice John Fogarty and Crown solicitor Andrew McRae discussed statistics that showed an alarming trend by people under the age of 20 to carry knives and of assaults with knives.
The stabbing in Oamaru last year was a tragedy for the families involved and their friends, but more widely in the community was regarded as an example of teenagers out of control.
In this instance, the murder was the result of a dispute between the two teenagers, Mr Lewis believing a rumour Smith had slept with a former girlfriend.
About 9.30pm on April 1, Mr Lewis and a friend Donovan Smith (no relation to the accused) were outside a pizza parlour in Thames St. They saw Smith across the road.
In what was described as an aggressive and hyped manner, Mr Lewis went across and confronted Smith about the rumour, challenging him to a fight.
Smith said he did not want to fight and just wanted to go home, walking off north along Thames St.
Mr Lewis and his friend were picked up in a car, then drove off looking for Smith, spotting him walking along Thames St at the end of Torridge St. Mr Lewis got out of the car in Torridge St and confronted Smith in Thames St, abusing him and continuing to challenge him to a fight.
Smith turned east into Exe St, Mr Lewis followed and both stopped face to face.
The altercation only lasted for a short time, with Smith continuing to decline to fight and claiming Mr Lewis grabbed his hoodie and demanded he hand it over.
That was when the situation deteriorated.
Earlier in the evening, Smith had been returned a hunting knife with a 12cm blade. He had owned the knife for about three or four years and used it while fishing.
Smith told the court during his trial he was frightened by the situation, pulling out the knife and stepping towards Mr Lewis.
He slashed the knife across the front of Mr Lewis, and forensic evidence during the trial indicated that resulted in a cut in the victim's clothes consistent with such an action.
Smith then stabbed Mr Lewis three times in the back.
Mr Lewis' friend, Donovan Smith, witnessed the stabbing and told the court he "saw the shining of a knife ... and it hit Will [Lewis] in the back".
The court was also told Mr Lewis had turned away from Smith when the stabbing occurred.
When arrested, Smith declined to make a statement or any comment. He claimed he had been home on the night of the stabbing and had nothing to do with Mr Lewis' death.
But during his trial in May, Smith elected to give evidence.
Smith said he thought Mr Lewis was going to punch him, pulled out the knife, took a step forward and swung the knife around into the victim's back. He swung it two more times, but did not want Mr Lewis to die.
Smith's defence was that he acted in self defence, but the Crown said he had deliberately taken the risk of killing Mr Lewis.
The jury on May 6 agreed with the Crown, returning a verdict of guilty of murder after six hours of deliberation spread over two days.
TIMELINE
• 2010, April 1, about 9.45pm: In Exe St, Oamaru, Daniel Ethan Smith, then aged 16 years, stabs William Lewis (16) three times in the back. Despite emergency treatment, Mr Lewis dies at the scene.
• April 2, about 1pm: Smith arrested.
• April 3: Smith charged in the Oamaru District Court with murder and remanded in custody.
• 2011, May 2: Smith's trial starts in Timaru High Court before a jury of 10 men and two women. Crown claims murder, defence says it was self defence.
• May 4: Smith gives evidence he did not know victim was going to die.
• May 5: Jury retires to consider verdict.
• May 6, 4.20pm: Jury finds Smith guilty of murder.
• June 17: Smith sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice John Fogarty.
