A man accused of murdering a 20-year-old at a Pietermaritzburg nightclub last March claims the man fell on broken glass, causing a fatal injury.
In addition, Sherwin Cara, 20, says that Juran Lorenzo Raman caused the glass to break.
Cara pleaded not guilty in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court yesterday to murdering Raman at Vacca Matta nightclub at the Golden Horse Casino.
He said he had noticed Raman interfering with his sister, Melanie, at the club.
“I approached the deceased (Raman), who seemed to be persistent in troubling my sister on the dance floor. I informed him that he should leave her alone.
“The deceased, however, unexpectedly lunged at me, striking my hand, which was holding a glass tumbler containing whisky and ice,” he said.
He said the tumbler struck the dance floor and shattered and Raman seemed to “lose his footing or balance, causing him to fall to the floor”.
“I did not have a clear view of the deceased due to the fact that there were many people on the dance floor in his close proximity.
Blood spurting
“ The deceased staggered to his feet and I noticed blood spurting from his neck area.
“I picked up a broken piece of the glass tumbler in order to prevent someone from stepping on to it,” he said.
Cara said he had not assaulted Raman and was not responsible for his death.
However, the State alleges that Cara stabbed Raman twice in the neck with broken glass, resulting in the fatal injury.
The head of security at the club, Tatenda Kahlari, testified that he ran to the dance floor after hearing glass shattering.
He saw a security guard holding Raman, whose neck was bleeding.
He asked the guard what had happened, and the man pointed towards Cara and another man.
Kahlari said Cara was holding a bloody piece of glass in his hand at the time.
Asked what had happened, Cara had replied that Raman had been interfering with his sister, said Kahlari.
He added that he had heard from guards that Raman had pushed Cara’s hand, causing the tumbler to fall to the ground.
During cross-examination by advocate Gideon Scheltema, SC, Kahlari said he had not seen how Raman was injured.
The case resumes today.
