A young Wellington man was today acquitted on grounds of self defence of stabbing another man in the back.
Robert Puna, 21, had denied a charge of wounding Ryan Hammond with intent at a party in Lower Hutt last year.
Wellington District Court was told Mr Hammond, 22, had shown up at the party drunk and itching for a fight.
He was out of control and attacked several people, the last of whom was Puna as he went outside to take a phone call.
After the fight the pair went back inside, where Mr Hammond picked up off the stove "red hot" knives being used for cannabis spotting.
Puna picked up a knife of his own, with a 15cm blade, from the bench and told Mr Hammond to leave him alone.
Mr Hammond lunged at him, he said.
As they rolled on the ground Hammond screamed he was going to kill him. Puna plunged the knife into Mr Hammond's back, piercing one of his lungs.
Defence lawyer Keith Jeffries told the jury Puna had feared for his life and was entitled to defend himself.
Mr Hammond had admitted behaving like "a wanker".
