The man accused of murdering Sione Tufui in a night club in Suva, Fiji two years ago has said he did not kill him.
A post-mortem examination report has confirmed at Fiji High court on Monday Sione died from a “brain haemorrhage which was caused by a blunt force trauma …. and multiple traumatic injuries”.
The pathologist, Dr Kalougivaki said: “this could have been caused by multiple stomping, kicking and punching”, Fiji Times reported.
Sione of Houma, Tongatapu, Tonga Islands was a student at the USP in Suva at the time he was killed.
A Nauruan man Julian Hendrich was in court in relation to his death.
At the time of the fatal incident Police arrested five Nauruan secondary school students.
The deceased was with his older brother Tupou Tufui who was also a student at the university and they had a night out on the night when Sione was fatally attacked.
Henrich’s defense counsel told the court his client did not take part in the killing.
Fiji media reports said his lawyer “Sevuloni Valenitabua told the assessors that Henrich was outside Dragon Nightclub in Suva when the other six people were punching and kicking Sione Tufui”.
“Valenitabua told the assessors to consider one of the defense witnesses’ evidence, who he saw Henrich coming out of the nightclub but when he came out, Tufui was already dead”.
“He also told the assessors that if Henrich was involved in a fight inside the nightclub on the dance floor and if he threw two to three punches at Tufui, this could not cause Tufui’s death”.
Valenitabua told the court the six people Police arrested were responsible for the killing of Sione.
Dr Kalougivaki also said: “… during the post-mortem examination, he noticed the deceased’s face was swollen, black and bloodshot eyes and his nose was also swollen with bruises.
“The fluid that was extracted from the eyes had blood in it,” Dr Kalougivaki said”, it has been reported.
Dr Kalougivaki said Sione’s lips were swollen and “there was a large cut on the lower lip, extensive bruising in the mouth and bruises on the chest”.
“There was an extensive bruising of the entire skull through the layers of the scalp”, he said.
“He concluded the cause of death was a result of brain haemorrhage which was caused by a blunt force trauma from the alleged assault and the presence of multiple traumatic injuries”.
Prosecution Counsel Juleen Fatiaki told the court Henrich “admitted that he joined the fight outside the nightclub”.
A Tongan witness, Finau Leone saw Henrich at the CWM Hospital and at the Central Police Station and he identified him and maintained that Henrich was the person who punched and kicked Tufui, the court was told.
Fetaiaki asked the assessors to consider Leone’s evidence that he was only ten steps far from the place where Tufui was being punched and kicked by some boys and he saw Henrich was one of them.
Justice Salesi Temo will sum up the case this afternoon.
