The jury in the trial of a woman who fatally stabbed her abusive partner has heard a 111 call made the night he died.
Photo: RNZ / Patrice Allen
Karen Ruddelle is on trial in the High Court in Auckland, accused of murdering Joseph Ngapera in their Manurewa home in the early hours of 14 November 2018.
It is the Crown's case she stabbed him with intent to kill or injure him while her defence team have argued she was acting in self-defence after years of abuse.
The jury has heard she told police Ngapera lunged at her while she was holding a knife she picked up when her 14-year-old son intervened in an argument.
However, Crown prosecutor Chris Howard said a post mortem showed two stab wounds to Ngapera's chest that would have required significant and repeated force.
Ruddelle's son Poutou Cameron was living in the couple's Thompson Terrace address when Ngapera died.
He told the jury he was sleeping in the early hours of that morning when his younger brother woke him up.
"I had to go into the kitchen and help Joe up...I saw Joe lying on the floor."
Cameron said his mother stood nearby as he tried to rouse Ngapera before calling 111.
His conversation with an ambulance operator was played to the jury of eight women and four men this afternoon.
Cameron: "There's been an altercation and my mum's partner is on the ground."
Operator: "Tell me exactly what happened?"
Cameron: "I don't know. I was asleep at the time but I woke up, I heard arguing and then he was on the ground. I'm not sure what happened."
Operator: "Okay. Does anyone there know what happened?"
Cameron: "I think my mum does."
Operator: "You think you mum did what sorry?"
Cameron: "My mum does but she's a bit intoxicated".
Ruddelle's raised voice can be heard in the background of the call as Cameron repeatedly yells at her to get away.
She cried in the dock this afternoon as her distressed wailing turned to words in the 111 recording.
"Please baby please. It's me, K. Please come back baby. Baby please come back. Please come back it's me Karen. Please come back," she can be heard saying.
Ruddelle has admitted stabbing Ngapera but her defence team is arguing she was protecting herself and her son.
She had a protection order against him in 2016 but by the time he died it had been discharged at Ruddelle's own request.
This morning her nephew Reuben Nepe told the jury he gave the couple a ride home from a Manurewa pub the night Ngapera died.
He said things seemed normal between the couple and he didn't sense anything was wrong when he left them around 3am.
But yesterday Ngapera's cousin, Charlotte Howard, said she observed them arguing at various times over the years.
She told the jury her cousin would call Ruddelle horrible names, adding "Karen couldn't do anything because he would give her a hiding."
Howard said she never actually saw any physical violence and Ruddelle would always try to calm Ngapera down when he got angry.
The trial before Justice Palmer and a jury will hear from 30 Crown witnesses over the next two weeks.
Ruddelle's youngest son won't be called to give evidence as his wider whanau didn't give police permission to interview him.