‘I heard nothing,’ says witness

‘‘I couldn’t hear and then [the man] was punched.’’ Witness recalls some of alleged attack

A confrontation about why a carload of people was being followed led to a man being felled by a punch, a court has heard.

One man claims he can’t remember any racial abuse just before the incident, but says he and a friend jumped out of a car and straight away confronted a man about following them.

‘‘We wanted to see what his problem was.’’

His friend was then punched, suffering a fractured skull, brain swelling and bleeding in his skull, and was in Wellington Hospital for a month.

Joseph William Kurene, 25, is on trial in the Palmerston North District Court, charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to injure over the late-night incident on February 19, 2016.

While the Crown says he used too much force, the defence argues it was self-defence.

Defence lawyer Adam Holland accused the witness of downplaying his own conduct and that of his friend when they made their statements to police.

The court has already been told by one witness that racial slurs were hurled from the car at Kurene when they were at the traffic lights. However, the man, a passenger in the car, did not remember what was said at the lights, or who said it. They had been drinking before the incident.

He said when they realised they were being followed they pulled over and he and his friend got out of the car. His friend approached Kurene, asking ‘‘Why the f... are you following us?’’

This was in a stern voice, but not yelling, he said. ‘‘[The two] were face to face and I think there were a few things said, but I couldn’t hear and then [the man] was punched.’’

He raced over to Kurene. ‘‘I started pushing him in the chest area.’’

The trial continues.