Janak Patel was stabbed to death in November 2022, outside the Rose Cottage dairy in Sandringham. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Two men charged over the murder of dairy worker Janak Patel will be sentenced in the High Court in Auckland this morning.
Frederick Hobson has pleaded guilty to the murder of Patel, while Shane Tane has pleaded guilty to an aggravated robbery charge.
A third man - Henry Ford - was granted a stay of proceedings due to being terminally ill.
Patel was stabbed to death while working on the evening of 23 November 2022, outside the Rose Cottage dairy in the central Auckland suburb of Sandringham.
Court documents revealed Patel and his wife had only moved to Auckland a week prior to his death, to look after the Rose Cottage Superette while its owners were away in India.
Funeral programme for Janak Patel who was killed while working at Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham following a robbery. Photo: RNZ / Rayssa Almeida
It was planned Hobson would enter the superette, armed with a knife, to take cash and any other items he could manage.
At about 8pm, Hobson pulled a black bandana up, covering the bottom half of his face, and ran into the dairy, holding a knife and a brown paper bag.
He confronted Patel with a knife, causing him to flee into a back room.
Hobson took the cash register, as well as a box of butane lighters and vapes, before leaving the store.
Patel ran after him, armed with a hockey stick from the back of the shop.
Hobson put the cash register in a nearby recycling wheelie bin as Patel approached, and went towards him aggressively, as Patel retreated swinging the hockey stick.
Flowers and notes outside the Rose Cottage Supererette in Sandringham, 28 November, 2022. Photo: RNZ / Rowan Quinn
Court documents revealed Hobson lunged at Patel and knocked him to the ground, stabbing him at least three times.
Hobson tried to wrestle the hockey stick from Patel's grasp, pulling him back to his feet, and stabbing him a further three times.
"The final blow was to Mr Patel's neck, causing him to fall to the ground once again."
Patel used the wheelie bin in an attempt to get away from Hobson, who tried to stab him once more.
He collapsed after taking five steps back towards the dairy.
Hobson collected the bin and left the scene.
Patel's death sparked protests by dairy owners over the safety of small businesses, while more than $100,000 was raised for his family.
In a statement, the Dairy and Business Owner's Group said Patel's family faced a life sentence for the hole his murderer created in their hearts.