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20 Jan 2026 17:34
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  •   Home > News > National

    The star witness at a Dunedin murder trial has back-tracked on evidence he gave yesterday

    The star witness at a Dunedin murder trial has back-tracked on evidence he gave yesterday


    Venod Skantha is on trial in the High Court - charged with murdering 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush.

    But defence lawyer Jonathan Eaton QC suggests the Crown's young witness is actually the one who killed her.

    Yesterday, the teen told the court he was roped into driving Skantha to Amber-Rose's home the night she died - and explicitly remembered cleaning the bloody knife afterwards.

    Now he says he can't remember whether he or Skantha cleaned it.

    © 2026 Newstalk ZB, NZCity

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    Auckland Police have seized a dark-coloured Toyota van they believe was used in a shooting in Onehunga on Friday morning 16:17

    Entertainment:
    Sir Idris Elba almost missed out on his knighthood because the consideration letter "got lost in a pile of post" 16:10

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    Deep sea mining is the next geopolitical frontline – and the Pacific is in the crosshairs 16:07

    Environment:
    Concerns over how the already soaked Northland will cope with more localised downpours 15:57


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