Respectful and well-liked by customers, while also a “bit of a hot head” at times – that’s how Declan Laverty’s boss has described the allegedly murdered bottle shop worker during her evidence in the ongoing murder trial of Keith Kerinauia.
Mr Kerinauia has pleaded not guilty to murdering 20-year-old Declan Laverty, with his lawyers arguing he acted in self-defence on the night he fatally stabbed Mr Laverty inside the Airport Tavern BWS in Darwin’s north in March 2023.
Lolita Lamberto, who had been managing the store for four months prior to the night Mr Laverty was killed, gave evidence on day four of the trial on Thursday.
Ms Lamberto told the court Mr Laverty had “great rapport” with customers and “never had any dramas”.
She also described Mr Laverty as “a bit of a hot head” when work became stressful.
Earlier this week, the court heard witness accounts of the fatal stabbing and evidence from Mr Kerinauia’s cousin, contradicting his original police statement, that Mr Kerinauia had been provoked.
Knives shown to jury
On Thursday, two knives found inside the pockets of Mr Laverty during examination of the crime scene were shown to the jury – a “folding-knife” from his front-right jean pocket and a box-cutter located in his back right pocket.
Ms Lamberto was questioned about workplace policies at the BWS, and told the court employees were able to access certain cutting implements including “retractable blades”, scissors, and “a cheap box-cutter” for cutting plastic strapping and opening boxes of stock.
She said that, aside from the blades supplied for work purposes, she never saw any employees with their own knives, and that knives were not permitted inside the store.
Marty Aust (prosecution): “Did you ever tell anyone they were allowed to bring their own cutting implement to work?”
Lolita Lamberto (witness): “No.”
The store manager also told the court Mr Laverty was up to date with his training modules, including training on how to “de-escalate” potentially dangerous situations.
Ms Lamberto said no incidents had been recorded by staff in the incident log in her time as manager.
On Wednesday, however, the court was read a police statement from Samara Laverty, Mr Laverty’s mother, in which she said her son had told her he was threatened with a screwdriver at work in the weeks before he was fatally stabbed.
In the statement, Ms Laverty said it was her understanding her son never reported the incident to his workplace or to police.
Accused’s aunty noticed scratches and blood
The court heard Mr Kerinauia told his aunty he was trying to defend himself following the stabbing.
Mr Kerinauia’s aunty Erica Brooks gave evidence on Thursday, telling the court Mr Kerinauia drove to her house after the incident and told her Mr Laverty had a scalpel and cut him on the face before he stabbed him in the chest.
Marty Aust (prosecutor): “Keith told you that the cashier had a scalpel and cut him on the face and when he did that, that’s when he got his knife and jabbed him, is that correct?”
Erica Brooks (witness): “Yes.”
Ms Brooks said she noticed a “little scratch” on her nephew’s face as well as blood stains on his shirt.
The NT Police detective who arrested Mr Kerinauia at around 4:15am the morning after the stabbing told the court Mr Kerinauia was “shocked” to hear he was under arrest for murder.
NT Police Detective Sergeant Dale Motter-Bernard told the court that, during the arrest, Mr Kerinauia said that Mr Laverty came at him with a knife.
“He spoke for about 15 minutes protesting that, I guess, in a way, it was self-defence, but he wasn’t using the words ‘self-defence’,” Sergeant Motter-Bernard said.
All prosecution witnesses have now given evidence at the trial, which will continue on Friday.
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