Slain man vowed to 'do me a doorman', court told

When nightclubber James Scia Scia was told he was too intoxicated to be let into a Napier bar, he said "it looks like I'm going to have to do me a doorman tonight", a court was told yesterday.

Minutes later Mr Scia Scia, 30, lay dying after a brief fight. He died in the Hastings St bar quarter just after 2.30am on April 17.

Jonathon Charles Te Kahu, 25, is accused of the murder of Mr Scia Scia.

Opening the hearing, Crown prosecutor Jonathon Krebs said the police alleged that after the brief fight, Mr Scia Scia was kicked at least once in the head by Te Kahu, and it was that kick which caused the fatal injury.

Doorman Frederick Murray Brock said he and Te Kahu were the only security staff on duty in the newly-opened bar and cafe Envy on the night of the death.

Mr Brock told Napier District Court he was at the door on his own when a man approached and was denied entry because of his intoxication. The man replied that it looked like he was going to have to "do me a doorman".

Te Kahu came to the door moments later to swap roles with Mr Brock, who told him to "watch out" as "this man looks like he could be trouble", Mr Brock told the court.

Mr Brock had returned to the stage inside the club when he saw the man's head go backwards.

He jumped off the stage and went to the door, but by the time he got there "it was all over", he said.

After two hours comprising mainly cross-examination of scene witnesses by defence counsel Steve Manning, the hearing before two Justices of the Peace was adjourned pending the availability next month of a pathologist, now overseas.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY