A teenager who stabbed to death a man he thought was flirting with his girlfriend has been found not guilty of murder.
Kalem Ames, 15, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Shayne Pita Walker, 22 in a majority decision by a jury in the High Court in Hamilton, The Waikato Times reported.
The trial was switched to Hamilton after the first trial in Rotorua was aborted.
Mr Walker had been drinking at Ames' Tokoroa house on January 25 last year.
Tensions developed between the pair after Ames, then aged 14, alleged Mr Walker was flirting with his girlfriend.
He was allegedly heard to say: "If Mr Walker touches my missus I'll get him. I'll get him with the axe."
A short time later Mr Walker was found in the street with an 11-centimetre stab wound to his back. He later died in Tokoroa Hospital.
Ames admitted stabbing Mr Walker but maintained he did not intend to kill him.
Crown prosecutor Amanda Gordon said Ames acted in a calculated and deliberate manner and was fully aware of the consequences of his actions.
After the stabbing, Ames went home and burned the knife with a cigarette lighter.
He later told police he wanted to destroy any forensic evidence.
Defence counsel Peter Tomlinson said Ames did not act with murderous intent and had only wanted to scare Mr Walker away from his girlfriend.
Ames was remanded for sentencing.
