Korean student remanded after stabbing

Last updated 13:29 04/03/2009

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JOHN SELKIRK/Dominion Post

IN THE DOCK: Tae Won Chung.

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A Korean student accused of stabbing his Avondale College teacher has been remanded in custody pending a psychiatric report.

Tae Won Chung, 17, appeared in the Auckland District Court charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was remanded in custody until March 18, pending the psychiatric report and a victim impact statement.

The court heard that Chung's mother had not been told of the charges because she suffered from a heart condition, but that his father was en route to New Zealand and expected to arrive tomorrow.

Chung - an international student - was supported by about 10 people including his homestay family.

The charge follows yesterday's stabbing of Avondale College teacher Dave Warren, 49, in the back.

Mr Warren - who taught Japanese - was stabbed as he wrote on a whiteboard. He was rushed to hospital with what were initially called serious injuries although police said they were not life threatening. He was sent home last night.

The school was shut for most of the day after the incident, as shocked parents collected their children and police cordoned off the classroom where Mr Warren was stabbed.

Chung was arrested at a Blockhouse Bay house about 3km from the school, about an hour after the stabbing. He had attended Avondale College for only a few weeks.

School principal Brent Lewis said the school today wanted to reassure students and staff.

"What we will be saying is the fact that the school is a safe community and the fact that there has been this one-off incident ... doesn't change our feelings about our school.

"We have a very strong sense of family at Avondale College and this has been quite shocking. It has been quite out of kilter with the style of the school," he told NewstalkZB today.

Levels of violent incidents had been dropping at the school, he said.

Teaching staff were distressed at the incident but one of the nicest comments he had had yesterday was that "you are more in danger of getting a hug".

He told Radio New Zealand he was disappointed students appeared on television last night suggesting Mr Warren was tough on some students.

"I think that's abuse of the media to be questioning vulnerable young people in dealing with rumour."

He said the incident had caught students and staff by surprise.

"The irony is, it's a school with a very positive school spirit. They're a tremendous bunch of students, lovely staff and they get on extremely well, so for that very reason it's all the more shocking."

- with NZPA

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