Enere Taana-McLaren, 16, died after he was stabbed at a bus stop in Dunedin in May last year. Photo: Facebook screenshot
The Crown says a teenager accused of murder didn't have to confront or chase a Dunedin student with a knife who he later stabbed, but chose to do so after being called names.
The 14-year-old, who has name suppression, is defending a charge of murder of 16-year-old Enere Taana-McLaren in the Dunedin High Court.
His lawyer said it was done in self-defence, but the Crown said he initiated the confrontation before pursuing and stabbing him.
During cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Robin Bates suggested that he could have continued walking at the city's bus hub after being verbally accosted by the older boy.
But instead, Bates said he chose to turn around and walk eight to 10 metres towards him, despite the other boy not moving closer.
The defendant said Taana-McLaren called him "sackless c**t" and he turned around to show he wasn't, but he walked back because he wanted to ask what his problem was with him.
He didn't want to be the boy who was bullied, he said.
From when he pulled out the knife, Robin Bates said Taana-McLaren was a few metres away and started backing away, moving onto the road.
The defendant agreed that Taana-McLaren was moving away when he pulled out the knife, but said he chased him, trying to drive him off because the older boy didn't budge when he first put his hand on the knife handle.
Bates said the older boy only kicked the other teenager to defend himself because the defendant had a knife and was chasing him.
He suggested the defendant chased him about 12 metres and was trying as hard as he could to stab the older boy with the knife, making a second attempt once the first blow missed.
"I didn't intend to stab him," the defendant said.
The teenager was questioned if he understood what could happen if he stabbed someone.
He told the jury that he understood they could potentially be seriously hurt but he didn't understand at the time that they could die.
Bates challenged that, suggesting he did understand someone could die from being stabbed.
He suggested when the defendant adjusted his bag, it was to get his hand on the knife and he didn't intend to take the bag off.
The defendant said he was moving the bag to take it off because he thought they were going to fight.
He was also questioned about flashing his knife at a different boy at the bus hub on an earlier occasion.
The defendant said he was walking to his bus at night when he was approached by another student who grabbed him by the collar before pushing him away.
He flashed the knife in his waistband and the other boy left, he said.
Bates asked him how he felt about what happened, and he replied it felt pretty good as he'd been left alone.
He brought up the defendant statements to a doctor, saying he would have been embarrassed to be bashed in the bus hub and disrespect made him felt like shit.
Bates also questioned the teenager about incidents at school.
The defendant said he was unfairly accused of vaping and messaged his friend "we can f**k up this c**t", referring to the prefect who had "snitched".
He told the court he was only talking about "smashing him over" because that was how he was feeling at the time.
Bates questioned him about a teacher saying he was aggressive in his manner toward them and was agitated.
The defendant denied this, saying he was frustrated to be at the school office.
The trial continues.
