Relief as killer pleads guilty

A 50-year-old man who attacked his 21-year-old partner with two boning knives outside their South Dunedin home has pleaded guilty to her murder.

Matakaua Ngaruaine Rouvi, freezing worker, fatally stabbed Moana Anahera Marie Aranui on January 26 this year after she told him she was leaving him.

The pair's 3-year-old daughter and other children at the house witnessed the attack on Miss Aranui, the summary of facts presented to the Dunedin District Court stated.

Depositions had been set down to begin yesterday but Rouvi admitted the charge when he appeared in the court.

Miss Aranui's mother, Faye Palmer, said she was "relieved" he pleaded guilty.

She had not had contact with Rouvi since the incident and he had not been in contact with his child.

A postmortem has revealed the victim received 21 injuries, including six major stab wounds to her face, chest and arms.

During the weekend of January 24 and 25, Miss Aranui had discovered text messages on the defendant's cellphone which suggested he was having an affair.

She became upset and left with their daughter to spend Sunday night with her sister.

The next day she told Rouvi their relationship of more than four years was over and came to their Bay View Rd home that evening to tell the rest of the family she would be moving out.

After an argument between the two on the veranda, Rouvi got two boning knives from his car and stabbed Miss Aranui in the chest.

When she screamed and ran down the side of the house he chased and attacked her with the knives, which had 20cm-long blades.

The screaming brought the defendant's 29-year-old son out of the house and he tried to distract his father so the victim and other family members could escape.

Rouvi then threatened his son with the knives, asking if "he wanted some as well", the summary said.

Miss Aranui managed to get into the house through the back door and went out the front door, but when Rouvi saw her he gave chase again, yelling at her, before he gave up and stabbed himself five times in the chest and collapsed.

The victim took refuge in a carport about 70m away, but died at the scene.

Rouvi told police he had decided to kill her because she was leaving him and he had intended to kill himself, as well.

A special court hearing was held at Rouvi's bedside in Dunedin Hospital when he made his first court appearance on January 29.

Judge Phil Moran, of Christchurch, remanded Rouvi in custody for sentence in the High Court on July 30.

 

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