THE brother of a man accused of murdering a Burnley schoolgirl in New Zealand told a court he was to blame for the incident.
Benjamin Sila, whose brother, Lipine, is on trial for the murder of Burnley-born Jane Young, told the Christchurch court that he had been fighting at the out-of-control house party.
Jane, who emigrated from the Ightenhill area of Burnley, and her friend Hannah Rossiter, both 16, died after they were hit by a car driven by Lipine Sila.
Benjamin Sila, 20, said: "I knew it was my fault, I knew I was in the wrong."
He told how he was "a bit drunk" when he arrived at the party. Lipine Sila had driven him and his mates to the party, but didn't want to join in, so he sat in the car. He warned Benjamin Sila to stay out of the way of trouble and not cause any.
Benjamin Sila saw people he had had trouble with in the past. He asked them what their problem was and if anyone wanted to fight.
While fighting, his mate Junior' got hit with a bottle and his hand was cut. He wrapped a T-shirt around it and Benjamin Sila said he was "a bit angry and lost the plot a bit".
He picked a bottle up off the footpath and threw it through the back window of a Subaru, breaking it.
Someone who knew the owner approached Benjamin Sila and another fight started. "I know my brother just came from nowhere to help me out" he said. He saw Lipine Sila get hit on the head with a bottle. "I kinda got scared and took off," he added.
He ran off and when he got back, Junior was sitting in a car with Connor Bensley, who drove them to the hospital.
When he got home from hospital Lipine Sila was at the house.
Junior and Benjamin Sila went to have a look at the car and it was covered in cardboard.
Sila denies two counts of murder and eight of causing grievous bodily harm to other party-goers.
(Proceeding)
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