Stabbing victim admits text threats
A victim stabbed four times during a Spreydon street brawl has admitted sending violent threatening text messages before the confrontation.
The exchange of texts began as an argument over sexually explicit texts that had been sent by another man to a 16-year-old relative of Falaniko Otufangavalu.
Otufangavalu, 27, admitted threatening that man by text and threatening to give him, and his brother, and his parents a hiding.
He explained to the Christchurch District Court where the man who stabbed him is on trial: “These texts were just texts when we were angry over the phone.” He acknowledged that the text messages – listed in court – indicated he was prepared to fight.
He admitted that when he met the man who had sent the texts, at his front door, he had taken a small child’s softball bat inside his jacket, and that he threw the first punch.
The man on trial, Soli Soli, aged 34, became involved after that encounter on July 23, 2012, and he and Otufangavalu spoke by phone before the brawl erupted in Simeon Street the following night which resulted in four men being treated for injuries at hospital.
Soli Soli denies charges of wounding Otufangavalu and his brother Sioeli Otufangavalu, 21, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He claims he acted in self-defence.
Falaniko Otufangavalu has told the trial of being stabbed four times during the encounter with Soli when he and his group arrived to talk about the dispute between the families.
Soli’s group had thrown bricks, so he put down the piece of wood he was carrying and put his arms up as he walked forward to talk. He had seen that Soli was holding a kitchen knife and also had a shovel
Soli was upset as they confronted each other. Otufangavalu said something then hit him in the face and he picked the wood up again. He lost his grip on it and Soli lost his grip on a shovel when they swung at each other and clashed.
He was then stabbed in the shoulder, roof of his mouth, arm and elbow. He did not see Soli stab him as they scuffled. “I could feel something penetrating my body.”
He then saw Soli on his knees while his brother was punching him, and he saw Soli thrust the knife into his brother’s belly.
Soli’s group was still throwing bricks as they retreated injured to their car.
Falaniko Otufangavalu said he had gone to the Simeon Street house intending to have a discussion. He admitted to defence counsel Alister James that they had taken weapons in their car to make sure they were protected. They had left knives – used for home killing pigs – in the car when they went to talk.
Today is the second day of the trial before Judge Raoul Neave and a jury. It is expected to continue into next week.
Category: News
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