Bus hub murder jury can’t break deadlock

After several days of deliberation, the jury in the bus-hub murder trial is still unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Justice Rob Osborne has dismissed the 12 jurors from the High Court at Dunedin as they have not yet come to a decision.

A 14-year-old boy has been on trial for over two weeks after pleading not guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Trinity College student Enere Taana-McLaren. The altercation took place on May 23 at the bus hub, resulting in Enere receiving a fatal stab wound and passing away shortly after.

While there is no dispute that the defendant caused the injury, he claims he was acting in self-defense. His lawyer, Anne Stevens KC, argued that he did not intend to harm Enere and was unaware of the potential fatal consequences of the stabbing.

On the other hand, the Crown contended that the defendant was looking for a fight and attacked Enere in response to an insult. The jury will reconvene on Monday morning to continue their deliberations.