First day concludes in Morris trial

The first day of the trial of the man accused of murdering Connor Morris has finished with evidence about one of the parties on Don Buck Rd the night he died.

Mr Morris was at his sister's housewarming when he became embroiled in a street fight with people from a 21st birthday gathering down the road. During the fracas Michael Murray allegedly murdered Mr Morris by striking him with a large gardening tool, described in court as a sickle but looking more like a manual weed whacker.

This afternoon, the jury at the High Court at Auckland heard from the woman who organised the 21st.

Iesha Teiho lived at 403C Don Buck Rd with her brother Trevor Morunga, 17. She organised a 21st party for her other brother Jason and his girlfriend, who share a birthday, and invited a number of people including Murray and his younger brother Stan.

Guests started to arrive about 7pm and started drinking alcohol.

Miss Teiho said later in the night some partygoers started to get aggressive.

Her brothers had been play fighting in the garage but things became more serious later on when her cousin Shamus Wira "growled at" Mr Morunga and punched him.

"I kind of just wanted it to shut down after that," she said.

"I told my brother to go inside ... I told everyone that I wanted them to go, that I didn't want any fighting at my house."

Miss Teiho said most of the partygoers left but several of her friends stayed at the property.

The Crown allege that soon after this, Mr Morunga and other partygoers chanced across a group of men walking on the road. They had come from Mr Morris' sister Cymmion's housewarming party.

Mr Morunga "kicked out" at one of the men in the other group, sparking an altercation. Someone ran back to the housewarming to get help and Mr Morris came to the street. He was killed soon after.

Miss Teiho did not see the fatal fight and the first she heard of it was when police came to her home.

Police asked her to leave the house, now part of the homicide investigation crime scene, and she walked with Mr Morunga to a nearby petrol station.

Mr Morunga told his sister that something had happened on Don Buck Rd. He said a group of guys from another party had wanted to start a fight with him and his mates and he "kicked some boy".

The other group went away, but returned with some Head Hunters gang members.

"He said Mike (Murray) hit someone with a bamboo stick," she told the court.

Mr Morunga will be called as a witness later this week.

WHO'S WHO?

THE 21ST PARTY AT 403C DON BUCK RD

- Held by Iesha Teiho for her brother's 21st birthday at her home

- Attended by her other brother Trevor Morunga, cousin Shamus Wira and his cousin Stan Murray, who is the brother of the accused.

- Mr Morunga allegedly sparked the fatal street fight when he "kicked out" at a man who was attending a housewarming down the road.

THE HOUSEWARMING PARTY AT 425 DON BUCK RD

- Held by Cymmion Morris, sister of the victim.

- Attended by Connor Morris and his girlfriend Millie Elder-Holmes and parents Chris and Julie Morris.

- Chris and Connor Morris were patched members of the Head Hunters gang, and other members were also at the party.

THE ACCUSED:

- Micheal Thrift Murray, who lived in a sleepout at the same property at Miss Teiho.

- The court heard that he did not attend the party but came out when it broke up to see his brother Stan.

By Anna Leask of the New Zealand Herald