Teenager pleads not guilty to murdering father on Boxing Day

In short

A teenager has pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to manslaughter, over a 2022 incident where her father died. 

SA's Director of Public Prosecutions has not accepted the plea to the lesser charge.

What's next

A judge-only trial is expected to begin this week.

A teenager has admitted to killing her father on Boxing Day four years ago but has denied it was an act of murder.

The now-19-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, today pleaded not guilty to murder in South Australia's Supreme Court, but guilty to manslaughter over the December 26, 2022, incident.

Prosecutor Karen Ingleton said the plea to the lesser charge was not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In a summary to the court, Ms Ingleton said it would be alleged at trial later this week that the teenage girl had been drinking in the hours before the stabbing at a gathering and was "significantly intoxicated".

She said it will be alleged that the girl's father carried her out of the event and took her home, along with "a witness" where she slept "for a period of time".

"When she woke, the youth was angry and swearing. The source of her anger, or the reason for her anger, was not entirely clear," Ms Ingleton said.

She said that the girl then allegedly "launched at her father across the lounge room" with a knife from the kitchen.

Ms Ingleton said it would be alleged the knife was taken off the teenager, and triple-0 was called, but that she sourced another knife from the sink.

"[The witness] observed the youth to pick up a knife from the sink and plunge it straight into [her father's] chest," she said.

The court heard police arrived a short time later and the 16-year-old was arrested.

The trial, by judge alone, is expected to start later this week.