‘Attack’ witness grillings
Scrutiny of death at bar
Several witnesses are set to be cross-examined about exactly what they saw the night a Gold Coast man allegedly punched another man outside a bar, causing fatal injuries.
Alexander “Alex” Ivan Rasic is charged with unlawful strike causing death in relation to the alleged one-punch attack on Michael Hayes, 39, at Sanctuary Cove last May.
Mr Hayes suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain after he was allegedly punched by Mr Rasic outside the Destino Wine and Cocktail Bar, causing him to fall to the ground.
He died in hospital days later.
Mr Rasic appeared alongside his legal team in Southport Magistrates Court this week, where they applied to produce several witnesses for crossexamination.
Defence barrister Bernard Reilly said the evidence surrounding his client’s identification was almost entirely circumstantial and would be of “the greatest importance” at any future trial.
“Where there are gaps in the witnesses’ statements concerning relevant circumstances of identification, then justice requires that we be permitted to cross-examine upon those gaps,” he said.
Magistrate Dzenita Balic ruled that most witnesses named in the application should be produced for crossexamination as outlined, with areas of questioning to include the nature and force of the blow, clothing worn, and lighting or distance and time frames.
“The deceased went to the bar to get some drinks (and) according to some versions – though there are variations of the same – he and two males had some level of interaction,” she said.
“One of those men punched the deceased … it was done with a considerable degree of force, according to some of the observations.
“The viewpoints of different witnesses as to who they saw do what and, more critically, what persons wore and the time frames and observations of those persons really goes to the heart of the prosecution case.”
Mr Rasic’s committal proceedings are listed for May 1. He remains on bail.