Onehunga bus stabbing live updates: Alleged killer Kael Leona ...
Updated
By George Block
Reporter·NZ Herald·
24 Oct, 2024 01:23 AM3 mins to read
A man sought by police after a woman was stabbed to death on a bus in Onehunga was recently convicted and sentenced for threatening to kill.
Kael Austin Leona, 37, is now the subject of a massive manhunt and a police public appeal after the fatal stabbing of a woman on the Number 74 bus in Church St, Onehunga about 2.30pm on Wednesday.
Auckland police say they are following good leads in the hunt for Leona, who is listed in court documents as living in a unit in Onehunga Mall. Police say he and the woman did not know each other.
Leona was set to appear in court on Thursday on charges of obstructing and resisting a policeman on Friday last week. Had he appeared in court it would have been far from his first appearance in the Auckland District Court in recent years.
Herald inquiries have revealed he was sentenced by Judge Debra Bell on May 15 for threatening to kill by stabbing, and doing a threatening act towards a dwelling.
Judge Bell imposed a one year and seven months’ prison term and a final protection order in favour of the victim.
Later this year Leona was out of prison but subject to release conditions. People sentenced to less than two years in prison are automatically released after serving half their sentence.
As a result, if Leona had already spent over nine months in custody on remand at the time of his sentence, he would have been released on conditions almost immediately.
STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVEBLOG
STORY CONTINUES
Determining when and whether a prisoner can be released, for example on the basis of time served while remanded in custody, is a matter for Corrections.
The Herald has sought comment from Corrections on Leona’s status as of yesterday.
It appears Leona breached his release conditions at least once after his release. He was scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on October 7 on a charge of breaching release conditions, and it appears bail was granted.
The name of the woman stabbed to death yesterday has not been released.
Acting Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson said police believe she was not known to Leona.
Do you know more? Email [email protected]
Robertson said police were called to the stabbing aboard the number 74 bus in Onehunga about 2.30pm on Wednesday.
Upon arrival they found the woman still on the bus having suffered several stab wounds.
“Tragically, despite the best efforts of medical personnel and members of the public, she died at the scene,” Robertson said.
“Our thoughts are with her whānau at this time, and we are doing everything we can to support them.”
Robertson said they believe Leona is responsible. Police are following positive lines of inquiry and speaking to a number of people who are helping them, she said.
He was last seen in Mt Wellington, Robertson said.
He was described as in his late 30s, and last seek wearing dark pants and a black jumper with white writing on the front, and white shoes.
George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police, the courts, prisons and defence. He joined the Herald in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the Otago Daily Times in Dunedin.
