13 Oct 2010

Kahui aunt changes testimony

7:03 pm on 13 October 2010

The aunt of the Kahui twins has changed part of her testimony at the inquest into their deaths.

Three-month-old Chris and Cru Kahui died after being admitted to hospital in Auckland with severe head injuries in June 2006.

The boys' father, Chris Kahui, was acquitted of their murder following a High Court trial in 2008.

The boys' mother, Macsyna King, and their aunt, Emily Hepi, have previously said they were in West Auckland when the boys were injured.

It was revealed at Chris Kahui's trial a cellphone call placed them in the vicinity of the family home in Mangere at that time instead.

Mrs Hepi previously had explained her employer had phoned her husband to say he'd seen her using a work car for personal use so she turned back home to Papakura, passing by Mangere on the way.

However, on Wednesday Chris Kahui's lawyer Chris Wilkinson Smith produced evidence at the inquest that Mrs Hepi's boss was in the Auckland CBD at the time and could not have seen her.

Emily Hepi has now changed her testimony, saying it must have been a colleague and not her boss who saw her in the vehicle.

Uncle gives evidence

An uncle of the twins, Stuart King, told the inquest on Wednesday he thought nothing of Mr Kahui not going to visit them in hospital when they were critically ill.

Mr Kahui has told the inquest this week he did not rush to the boys' side because he did not want to walk to the hospital.

Mr King said after Mr Kahui received word that his sons were badly hurt, he sat down in front of the television and started using the playstation.

When asked how the boys got their injuries, Mr King replied that someone must have hit them when they got frustrated.

However, he told Coroner Garry Evans he does not know who hurt the boys and if he did, he would tell police.