'You can't save him ... I've broken his neck'
31 August 2006
By DEBORAH DIAZ
A witness to Liam Ashley's fatal prison van beating says the teenager was bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose and head when he fell into the arms of a security guard who unlocked the door.
Ashley's alleged murderer yelled at the guards: "I've already got one murder charge and today I made it two."
As police and guards tried to revive the shaking teenager, the 25-year-old accused of killing him said: "I've done enough damage, you can't save him . . . I've broken his neck."
The evidence was given by Indian overstayer Haneet Singh, whose testimony was presented to Auckland District Court yesterday.
Singh, who is to be deported on Saturday, was one of the prison van occupants on Thursday night when Ashley was attacked.
The name of the man charged with Ashley's murder has been suppressed.
He appeared in court yesterday, wearing a T-shirt that said "Keep your eye on the rising star of crime" on the front and "Serial killers don't normally work alone" on the back.
Singh told crown prosecutor Simon Moore that he was riding in a separate section of the prison van when Ashley was attacked. He could not see Ashley or the accused, but heard banging coming from the compartment.
Singh said he was one of the first to leave the van when it arrived at Auckland Central Remand Prison.
He watched as Ashley fell out of the van and on to a Chubb security guard when his compartment, directly behind the van's driver, was opened.
The teenager was bleeding from his eyes, nose, head and ears. "There was blood everywhere on his face," Singh said.
The accused had blood on the front of his shirt and, when prisoners from the van were moved to a nearby cell, he warned them that was what happened "when you mess with me".
The accused was wearing handcuffs and called for the guards to undo them because his hands were sore. Singh said he and three other prisoners in his compartment were also handcuffed for the trip.
Singh rejected suggestions from defence lawyer Charl Hirschfeld that the accused had not yelled that he faced a second murder charge.
Singh replied that the accused had said it. "He was pretty confident that he'd killed the guy already."
Singh, whose two-year student visa expired in 2004, will be deported as an overstayer after being arrested for driving while forbidden on August 18.
He spent a week in the cells at Henderson police station before being transferred to the remand prison.
After yesterday's hearing, the murder accused was remanded in custody for two weeks. Mr Moore told reporters the man was not facing a second murder charge.
Ashley's family held a private funeral yesterday for their "gorgeous boy".
"His achievements, though often small, were huge, as Liam faced everyday with his infectious smile," a statement from the family said.
"Liam's teenage years were filled with aspirations and dreams as any young man of his age would have."
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