Conviction after fatal Oamaru stabbing

A jury in the High Court at Timaru has found Daniel Ethan Smith guilty of manslaughter in relation to the 2010 stabbing of an Oamaru teenager. 

Smith (now 20), was found not guilty of murder.

He was convicted and has been remanded in custody. He is due to be sentenced on August 29.

Smith killed William Peter Lewis (16) on April 1, 2010, by stabbing him three times in the back in Exe St, Oamaru.

He claimed he did so in self-defence.

A jury of six men and six women retired for deliberations at 2.50pm yesterday, and broke for the night at 5.20pm.

They delivered their verdicts at 12.40pm today.

Smith remained calm when the jury returned the verdicts, while family and friends of William sobbed.

Justice Dunningham thanked the jury for their work on a ''gruelling and emotional'' case.

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