The jury in the trial of the man accused of murdering rising rugby league star Luke Tipene has retired for the day without delivering a verdict.
The six men and six women began deliberations around 11am today after Justice Mark Woolford summed up the case against 17-year-old Vincent Skeen at the Auckland High Court.
Skeen is accused of murdering Mr Tipene during a fight outside an Auckland house party on November 1 last year.
The fact he killed Mr Tipene by stabbing him in the throat with a broken beer bottle is not disputed, but the case rests on whether he intended to kill him, or if he knew there was a risk the strike could be fatal and struck him anyway.
People representing both families filled the court's public gallery today, with many of Mr Tipene's friends and family wearing embroidered jerseys dedicated to the teen.
The jury will resume deliberations tomorrow morning at 10am.
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