Crown already has the man who killed Kyle Whorrall, says defence lawyer

The Crown already has the man who killed Kyle Whorrall, says a defence lawyer, who argues that his client had no part in the American student's murder.

Whorrall, 33, was left with a "a catastrophic and ultimately fatal wound" following an attack in April 2025 at the stop in Auckland's Meadowbank. He died in hospital shortly after.

One teenager has already pleaded guilty to Whorall's murder and to aggravated robbery.

Another four teens are currently standing trial in the High Court at Auckland having pleaded not guilty.

The Crown said Whorrall was on his way back from a routine evening shopping trip when he was attacked with a machete.

Paul Borich KC, who is acting for one of the defendants, said there was no evidence his client knew there had been a plan to rob and attack Whorrall that night.

There had also been no evidence presented to the jury identifying which of the four defendants was the second person seen at the bus stop alongside the murderer.

"There are good, legitimate arguments for all of the four persons who are on trial who could fit into that number two slot and it depends on the parts of [witness evidence] you like and the parts you don't like."

It is alleged the five young men were driving in Borich's client's mothers car. Borich asked the jury to consider why his client would get out to participate in the attack if he was the one driving.

"If the Crown case is that there was a plan to rob Kyle Whorrall in the bus stop to do a street robbery, effectively pull the car over, park up so that you can do the getaway... is it really suggested that the getaway driver's going to get out to do the robbery?

"Not only do the Crown have a plan now that [the defendant] is supposed to know about, but it's a particularly dumb one."

Borich also said his client's stepfather, who was called as a key Crown witness, was a self-confessed compulsive liar.

"For obvious reasons [the witness] is a person with nil, zero credibility at all," Borich said.

He told the jury the man responsible for his murder has already pleaded guilty.

"You have your murderer, I suggest it could not be clearer. He is the user of the machete," Borich said.

Panama Le'Au'Anae - the lawyer for another of the defendants - told the jury the reason he had not said very much during the trial is because there had not been much he needed to address.

"There hasn't been the evidence that has met the level that would satisfy you that my client was involved in an aggravated robbery nor was he involved in a murder," he said. "The problem with the Crown case is that it is full of holes, it's full of gaps."

Le'Au'Anae urged the jury to put aside any feelings of sympathy or prejudice they may have.

"It would be very easy to be sympathetic to Mr Whorrall and his family, you wouldn't be human otherwise. You might look down and see these four young men in the dock and think, 'young guys, shouldn't have been doing that'."

He urged the jury to put any emotions they may have to one side and to look at the evidence in a cool, calm manner.

Defence lawyers are expected to finish their closing arguments tomorrow with Justice Simon Mount to give his closing remarks on Wednesday.