Two men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of a Christchurch teenager who was fatally shot in November 2021.
Connor Whitehead, 16, was fatally shot after attending the birthday party - Daniel Sparks and Joshua Smith have been on trial for murder over his death at the High Court in Christchurch for the last two-and-a-half weeks.
Connor's family have been in the public gallery throughout the trial and were crying as the verdicts were read out, the jury finding the men not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Their nightmare unfolded at the out-of-control teenage party in Casebrook.
The Christchurch teen was fatally shot outside a Christchurch party in 2021. (Source: 1News)
The men turned up after a call for help from Sparks’ son.
It was Smith that fired the fatal shot with a sawed-off Stevens shotgun.
As the pair attempted to leave the party Sparks also picked up a weapon, a moment he recalled in a police interview.
“The car was getting surrounded, that's when I pulled out the gun and shot a round up into the air.”
Both men denied murdering Connor - their lawyers argued their only intention was to scare and scatter the crowds.
They will be sentenced on August 4.
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