Wellington, Sept 3 NZPA - Over the past 20 years, the following have been convicted of murder or manslaughter when aged 17 or under:

* January 26, 2008: Kalem Ames, 14, stabbed Tokoroa man Shayne Pita Walker, 22, to death in the town. He was charged with murder, and a jury found him guilty of manslaughter.

* January 16, 2008: Jahche Broughton, 15, beat Scottish tourist Karen Aim, 27 to death with a baseball bat, just 12 days after bashing apprentice chef Zara Schofield, 19, on the head with a rock . At the age of 15, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for Ms Aim's murder, with a minimum non-parole term of 12-1/2 years, and six years' imprisonment for wounding Ms Schofield, to be served concurrently.

* October 2007: Petani Fa'avae, 16, stabbed to death Manaola Kaumeafaiva, 14, outside Avondale College during a church dance. He was found guilty of murder and jailed for 11 years.

* March 2007: Rua Edwardson, 16, was found guilty of the manslaughter of her former friend, Melissa Puhi.

* January 13, 2007: Kori Trevithick, 15, stabbed Auckland widow Doreen Reed, 77, over 21 times as she slept in her bed at Birkdale. He was convicted of murder.

* July 2006: Ngatai Rewiti, 14, was convicted of the manslaughter of Christopher Currie after he dropped a concrete slab from an Auckland motorway overbridge on to his car.

* May 2004: James Hamilton and Hori Slade, both 17, were convicted of murdering Whangerei forestry worker Richard Harcombe.

* February 2003: Renee Kara O'Brien was convicted of the murder Waitara truck driver Kenneth Pigott. O'Brien was 14. Her co-offenders - Puti Irene Health Maxwell and Kararina Makere Te Tauna, both 14 - were convicted of manslaughter.

* August 2003: John Michael Jaymain Wharekura, 17, was found guilty of stabbing to death Tanya Burr at her Rotorua flat.

* September 2002: Daniel Luff, 17, was convicted of killing Detective Constable Duncan Taylor near Palmerston North. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Detective Jeanette Park.

* September 2001: Bailey Junior Kurariki was 12 when he took part in the fatal beating of pizza deliverer Michael Choy, 40. He was charged with murder and convicted of manslaughter. In August 2002, Alexander Peihopa, 16, and Whatarangi Rawiri, 17, were found guilty of murdering Mr Choy.

* May 1991: A 13-year-old Wellington schoolboy was convicted of the murder of nurse Rachel Bennett, who was stabbed 16 times.

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