Key Takeaways
- Rakai Jacob Thompson, 26, is on trial for the murder of 17-year-old Te Omeka Pairama Akariri-Buckley in Waitara on July 30 last year.
- The two men were involved in a failed sheep rustling mission and had a falling out before the fatal attack.
- Thompson claims he acted in self-defence and did not intend to kill Te Omeka.
- The defence argues that Thompson’s actions after the stabbing, including trying to help Te Omeka and stemming the blood flow, do not equate to murderous intent.
Introduction to the Trial
The trial of Rakai Jacob Thompson has begun in the High Court at New Plymouth, with the accused facing charges of murder. The case revolves around the death of 17-year-old Te Omeka Pairama Akariri-Buckley, a promising rugby league player from Taranaki. The trial has started with an emotional beginning, as an associate of the Akariri-Buckley family performed a karakia in front of a public gallery filled with supporters of both men. Thompson, who appeared in court on crutches, sat with his head bowed throughout most of the proceedings.
The Events Leading Up to the Fatal Attack
The Crown prosecutor, Jacob Bourke, told the jury that on the night of July 30, Thompson and Te Omeka had been involved in a failed sheep rustling mission with Te Omeka’s older brother, Don, and another man. The men had argued about the use of a light bar on the ute they were using, and Thompson became increasingly agitated. After returning to the Akariri-Buckley’s home, Thompson continued to argue with the brothers about mislaid car keys. He eventually returned home to Strange St in Waitara, where he removed a motorbike owned by the Akariri-Buckleys from his garage and parked it on the driveway. Thompson then messaged the brothers, telling them to come and pick up the bike because he did not want anything more to do with them.
The Fatal Confrontation
When the brothers arrived, Te Omeka went to get a helmet from the garage so he could ride the bike home. However, Thompson, who was armed with a boning knife, told Te Omeka not to enter the garage. The men argued, and Te Omeka "got in Thompson’s face" before they got into a scuffle. During the scuffle, Te Omeka was stabbed twice, once in the left side of his chest, which penetrated his heart, and another blow in his side, which pierced his left kidney. Te Omeka ran a short distance before collapsing alongside the ute. Thompson and Don Akariri-Buckley laid Te Omeka out together and tried to staunch the bleeding while another person called 111.
The Aftermath and Thompson’s Claim of Self-Defence
Emergency services were called to the property on Strange St about 12:45 am. Thompson told police who arrived at the scene that he had stabbed Te Omeka, but it was in self-defence. In a later interview with a detective, Thompson said he did not mean to stab Te Omeka and had done so accidentally when he pushed him away after being rushed by the brothers. However, he later claimed that he had stabbed Te Omeka intentionally. The defence counsel, Nathan Bourke, argued that Thompson’s actions after the stabbing, including trying to help Te Omeka and stemming the blood flow, do not equate to murderous intent.
The Defence’s Argument
Nathan Bourke told the jury that Te Omeka’s death was a tragedy, but not a murder, because Thompson did not want him to die. He said Te Omeka was like a little brother to Thompson, and as a young father who had lost his own brother in an accident, there was no way he meant to kill the teenager. Bourke argued that Thompson was the Akariri-Buckley’s "punching bag" and "whipping boy" and that he had the knife because he feared what the brothers might do to him when they arrived to get the motorbike. According to Bourke, what happened was that Thompson was assaulted after he yelled at Te Omeka not to go into the shed, and he reacted on instinct and in fear, stabbing Te Omeka in a brief moment.
The Trial Proceeding
The trial, which is set to last for two weeks, will hear from 19 witnesses. The prosecution will present its case, and the defence will argue that Thompson’s actions do not constitute murder. The jury, consisting of eight women and four men, will ultimately decide Thompson’s fate. Justice Jason McHerron will preside over the trial, which has already begun with emotional testimony and a complex web of events leading up to the fatal attack. As the trial progresses, it will be crucial to examine the evidence and the arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defence to determine the outcome of this tragic case.