The High Court has decided that the man who fatally stabbed a 22-year-old in a Christchurch night shelter cannot be identified.
Jordan Morris died from a single stab wound to the abdomen at the men’s emergency night shelter on March 10.
A 67-year-old was initially charged with his murder, but the charge was later dropped after it was determined that he acted in self-defense.
Justice Jonathan Eaton granted the man permanent name suppression on Friday due to his mental health challenges and the fact that the charge against him was dismissed early on.
The men were staying at the Christchurch City Mission when they got into a verbal altercation at about 10 p.m. on March 10. Morris challenged the man to an “outs,” and both fell to the floor.
The altercation continued, and Morris grabbed a nearby kitchen knife and stabbed Morris in the stomach. Morris died a short time later in hospital.
The man, acting on legal advice, declined to speak to police and was charged with murder the following day. A psychiatric report by Dr Erik Monasterio found the man not fit to stand trial or be interviewed by police.
He was found to have physical and mental issues due to chronic alcohol use and met the diagnostic criteria for a major neurocognitive disorder due to a brain injury.
Justice Eaton stated that the prosecution could not disprove the man had acted in self-defence within weeks of the stabbing. He said this case stood out as the prosecution had no reasonable prospect of defeating a defense of self-defence.
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