A jury in the High Court at Auckland heard yesterday that what started out as a drunken scuffle escalated with the use of a table leg and a baseball bat.
"It culminated in something of a brutal attack, leaving one man dead and another injured," prosecutor Jonathan Krebs said in his opening address.
Before the court are Don Layton Luamanu, aged 26, of Otara, and Atimalala Afa, 22, of Manurewa, who are accused of murdering 24-year-old Solomone Taimarangai, of Otahuhu, during a violent incident in Customs St early on August 15 last year.
The pair are also charged with a third man, Elia Tasilimu, 25, of Otara, with injuring Sani Niua-Tofa with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Mr Krebs told the jury that Luamanu delivered three hard blows to the head of Mr Taimarangai with the table leg as he lay on the ground.
"Witnesses heard a cracking sound as he struck," he said.
Afa is also alleged to have hit Mr Taimarangai with a baseball bat, and all three are said to have used the weapons on Mr Niua-Tofa.
"This began as a drunken scuffle," Mr Krebs told the jury.
"It certainly developed into a brawl, but once the weapons were introduced it escalated into what could be described as a frenzied attack."
The trial before Justice Fisher is expected to last two weeks.
Scuffle ended in death, jury told
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