THE family of a Burnley teenager killed when a car ploughed into a crowd of partygoers in New Zealand will face her alleged killer in court tomorrow as they fight for justice.

And before the trial began, Jane Young's father Harry hit out at his adopted country and warned others thinking of moving there to "go somewhere safer".

Jane, 16, died on May 6 last year when a car was driven into teenagers at an out-of-control house party in St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand.

She had emigrated from Ightenhill, with her family in search of a better life, in 2003.

Former boxer and factory worker Lipine Sila, 22, will go on trial today for Jane's murder, and for the murder of Hannah Rossiter, 16, who also died in the tragedy. He faces six further counts of attempted murder, and eight of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and the trial is expected to last six weeks.

Mr Young said he, mother Lorraine and brothers Christopher, Alastair and George, would not be able to attend every day of the trial, as there is no system of financial aid for victims' families in New Zealand.

He said the family would attend the first few days of the case, then choose which dates to attend during the rest of the trial.

Mr Young said: "Exactly like the UK, the legal system is heavily weighted in the offender's favour, by a PC and incompetent Labour government. But we are still hopeful that justice will prevail.

"Crime rates have rocketed, especially crimes of violence - and latterly especially violent crimes against foreigners. Alcohol and drug crime is rife.

"Our son Chris recently witnessed a drug crazed man being shot dead by police outside Chris's flat. These things are happening daily. In 1951 there were 2 million inhabitants of New Zealand and two homicides in the whole year. Now there are 4 million people and two homicides per week. New Zealand is unsafe.

"I would say to anyone thinking of coming in the next couple of years - leave it - go somewhere safer."

Sila's trial will coincide with the first anniversary of Jane's death, when friends will hold a memorial picnic at the tree and bench in Hegley Botanical Gardens, Christchurch, placed there to commemorate her death.

In preliminary hearings in New Zealand, partygoers have told how a red Honda Integra drove into the crowd of more than 100 teenagers, after the party had become violent.

Sila's brother Ben, 18, has admitted smashing bottles into a car windscreen just before the tragedy happened, and fighting with his brother and another man, Joseph Muir.

A passenger in the Honda, Faagase Faauiga, told the hearing he heard a "boom-boom" noise, and "knew we hit somebody", but that he had not seen what had happened because he had his hands over his eyes.

A girl who had been at the party, but was too young to be named, told the court: "We were talking about how we were going to go home because the party was getting big and we didn't want to stay there for much longer.

"Jane said something like, Let's go', and then while we were talking I could hear the car revving in the background.

"You could hear bones crunching and the car swerved in and then came out again and hit Jane. I saw and felt Jane fly past me. Then I ran down the road to try to find Jane and I found her. I don't know where. I don't remember. She was lying there with blood everywhere."

Police have investigated allegations that the violence which broke out at the party was race-related. Mr Sila is from a Samoan background.