Man stabbed wife then himself, Court told

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 7

Man stabbed wife then himself, Court told

PA Auckland An Avondale man accused of murder had stabbed his estranged wife and another man in a struggle on her front doorstep before turning the knife on himself, the High Court at Auckland has been told.

Sio Sauni, aged 30, a machine operator, has pleaded not guilty before Mr Justice Moller and a jury to a charge of murdering his wife, Susan Ann Sauni, outside her flat in New Lynn on July 2 last year.

Sauni has also denied two alterntive charges of attempting to murder Roger Bruce Birchall, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to injure Mr Birchall.

Prosecuting for the Crown. Mr Peter Kaye said that Sauni and his wife had separated after being married for about three years. Mrs Sauni had stayed at their address in New Lynn with the couple's young son and her daughter from a previous marriage. Mr Kaye said that on the night of 'the stabbing, Sauni had been drinking at bars in New Lynn and Mrs Sauni and a group of friends had also gone to one of the bars. Mr Kaye said that Mrs Sauni and Mr Birchall had returned from the bar and.after walking up the stairs to her flat, had been attacked by Sauni wielding a knife.

It was alleged that the police found Mrs Sauni sitting motionless against a wall. Sauni had been semiconscious with a knife protuding from his abdomen. He was taken to Auckland Hospital by ambulance and recovered after surgery. Mr Kaye said the police found Mr Birchall down an embankment with his face covered in blood. He had suffered serious head injuries. The Crown claimed that when relatives visited Sauni in hospital, he had told them that he had put the knife in himself and had “just wanted to die with Susan.”