A fight in Porirua during which a man was stabbed and killed has been described as a "pack attack, vicious and sudden".
The High Court at Wellington. (File image.) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Hone Pawa died at the scene in May last year and Ngapaki Gripp is on trial for murder in the High Court at Wellington.
On the afternoon of 9 May last year, Gripp and his cousin were in Porirua in a car parked up after getting takeaways.
Hone Pawa and a handful of others were in the same area and had been drinking.
Gripp's lawyer, Mike Antunovic, told the court on day one of the trial today his client and cousin were targeted by the group.
"This was a pack attack... the defendant and his cousin were clearly outnumbered," Antunovic said.
"Ngapaki Gripp... did absolutely nothing to provoke what happened."
He said Pawa was taller and heavier than Gripp, who had no other option but to act defensively.
"Ngapaki Gripp didn't have the leisure to sit and ponder what his response might be - he didn't have time on his side - these things just unfolded... suddenly, out of the blue and viciously."
However, the Crown disputed the theory of self defence.
Crown lawyer Andrew Britton told the court Gripp was heard saying "do you want to get stabbed" twice after pulling a knife from the car.
Pawa was struck six times, Britton said.
"One of the six stab wounds went through the left side of his chest, his heart, his diaphragm, his liver," he said.
Pawa collapsed in a nearby park and the fight was interrupted by an off-duty officer, Britton said.
A paramedic told the jury of eight women and four men he saw a "trail of blood" and attempted to save Pawa.
He described a number of "hysterical" onlookers as other paramedics were called in to help.
More than 40 witnesses are expected to give evidence - many have asked not to be recorded or photographed by media in court.
Antunovic told the jury during his brief opening remarks to keep an open mind over the course of the trial - which could last up to three weeks.