Best friends’ row ends in stabbing

A CHATSWORTH man who allegedly stabbed his best friend in the neck with a Coke bottle because of a derogatory voicemail message has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder.

Zebulon Ravin Nundlall, wearing a blue suit, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Tuesday).

The tearful complainant, Brayden Perumal, 24, told the court how surprised he was that his best friend of 14 years had struck him with a 1.5litre glass Coke bottle on the night of August 17 last year.

During his evidence-in-chief, led by prosecutor Kuveshnie Pillay, Perumal told the court that their relationship had changed following an incident in which Nundlall had allegedly got drunk and pushed a beer bottle against the neck of a boy.

“I would have defended Zebulon regardless. I even took his side when he was wrong, but on that day I told him he was wrong. He swore me and walked away.”

Perumal said on the day of the stabbing he had received a message from another friend, Darren, saying that Nundlall had called him a “p***”.

“I had no airtime and tried to call him from Darren’s phone. He didn’t answer his phone. I did know a voicemail had recorded. I was angry and I told Darren I will kill him (Zebulon) even though I am his friend.”

Perumal said Nundlall later enquired about the voicemail message that had led to the altercation.

At about 7pm on August 17 Perumal had stopped to talk to his friends when Nundlall emerged from his house and head-butted him, the court heard.

“I tried to stop him from hitting me with the bottle,” said Perumal.

Perumal told the court he was struck with the bottle and bled profusely. He was rushed to hospital and underwent two operations. He said he had no sensation on the left side of his face.

Nundlall’s mother had intervened during the fight calling him a gangster, he added.

“She wanted to know why I was fighting with her son.”

Under cross-examination Perumal said that Nundlall had tried to kill him.

Nundlall claimed he was on his way to buy cooldrink from a tuckshop when he saw Perumal.

“He will tell the court you swore him, calling him a p***,” Nundlall’s attorney, Mervin Dorasamy, told Perumal.

Dorasamy said his client would tell the court he had acted in self-defence and had no intention of murdering his friend.

Magistrate Anand Maharaj had to caution Nundlall’s family to be quiet in court, asking them to sit separately as they were disturbing proceedings.