Warning: This article contains details that may disturb some people.
A witness says one of the two teenagers accused of murdering Joshuah Tasi in the Auckland suburb of Beach Haven said: "That's what you get when you come to Beach Haven" after he and the other defendant allegedly stabbed Tasi multiple times.
Another prosecution witness will tell the trial Tasi, who was 28, died from a stab wound to the heart but sustained other wounds to his face, body and legs in a coordinated attack that lasted 10 seconds, the High Court in Auckland heard on Wednesday.
The defendants, who were 17 and 14 when the incident happened on March 3, 2023, are now 19 and 15.
They both have name suppression.
Prosecutor Brett Tantrum said the incident started when Tasi drove a grey van behind the defendants, who were in a black BMW sedan, on the T of an intersection - but couldn't pass because one was talking through the window to a relative on the side of the road.
One witness, who was the pedestrian in the conversation at the T-section, later described the van driver repeatedly beeping his horn.
Tantrum said words may have been exchanged when Tasi eventually pulled around the car and turned left onto Beach Haven Rd.
But the 17-year-old accused sped off in pursuit and overtook the van which then collided with the back of the BMW.
Both vehicles stopped shortly after and the prosecution alleges both driver and passenger got out of the van. Tantrum told the court the 17-year-old approached the van on the driver's side and the 14-year-old approached the van from the passenger's side.
Witness Michael Mainwaring said both appeared to repeatedly punch Tasi in an attack that lasted 15 seconds but it transpired he had been repeatedly stabbed.
He said a few things were yelled and what sounded like, "That's what you get when you come to Beach Haven" - though he didn't know which of the pair said that.
Mainwaring said the attack appeared to be coordinated, given both left the vehicle at the same time.
He fought back tears as he said: "My first thougth was just to start applying pressure to the multiple wounds but the problem was there were so many."
Mainwaring was first on the scene after witnessing the incident from his lounge. Tasi never spoke but there was brief eye contact.
They had found Tasi's name on his driver's licence and continued to use it "to provide him some comfort".
Mainwaring and other bystanders attempted to stem the flow of blood to wounds to Tasi's face and leg using rags. Four police officers arrived within moments and one attempted to revive Tasi using CPR, but he remained unresponsive.
A paramedic concluded he was dead at 7:35pm.
Tantrum said Tasi received wounds to his face, shoulder, chest, calf and head but an expert witness says the fatal wound was to his chest.
The accused pair left the scene in their BMW which was found abandoned nearby but they were located together on a Northland road at 4am the following morning and brought back to Auckland where they were charged with murder.
Marie Taylor-Cyphers, the lawyer for the older defendant, suggested it may not be possible to work out who caused the cut that ended Tasi's life.
She also urged the jury to pay close attention to what happened to the van. She said her client is innocent until proven guilty.
Ian Tucker, the lawyer representing the younger defendant, said his client maintained his innocence and urged the jury to listen carefully in an unbiased and impartial manner.
The trial is set down for between three and four weeks.
