Naya Ropiu Wharekura, 29, has been on trial in the Invercargill District Court for two and a-half weeks for the murder of Chad Terrance Parekura and the attempted murder of Austin Jazz McGregor.
Wharekura has already pleaded guilty to alternative charges of manslaughter and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The court heard the double-stabbing on April 23, 2022 came about after the defendant refused to pay for drugs he was buying from McGregor outside Tillerman’s nightclub and drove away.
Parekura died at the scene and McGregor was taken to hospital with a fractured rib and punctured spleen.
In her closing argument, Crown prosecutor Sarah McKenzie said Wharekura did not like being challenged by McGregor and his crew, and had gone back to the nightclub “angry”.
She alleged the defendant, who was a freezing worker, selected the boning knife instead of other smaller kitchen knives as he knew the effect it would have on his victims.
Ms McKenzie compared the defendant's 150kg, 188cm size at the time of the offending to that of the drug dealer, who said he weighed about half that, standing at 170cm.
Counsel John Westgate said McGregor manipulated his now dead friend into going downstairs to face the defendant.
He said his client’s single jab with the knife to Parekura was intended to get the man to “bugger off” and leave him alone, not to take his life.
“Murderous intent? What we have is a single stab wound below the shoulder and towards the back,” he said.
“... no follow up, no pursuit, no second stabbing ... the incident is over.”
Mr Westgate also referred to evidence that directly after the two instances, Wharekura got back into the car and said: “I stabbed him in the place where he won’t die”.
Justice Paul Radich summed up the case for the jury this evening.
The jury will be back to deliberate in the morning.
- By Ella Scott-Fleming
- PIJF court reporter
