THE jury trial of Noble Tangipa who has been charged with the causing of grievous bodily harm by stabbing a young man with a knife in 2008 continued at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on May 28.

Witnesses who were called this week included Police Officer Sateki Tu'utafaiva who interviewed the noble on July 19, 2008 after he was arrested following a complaint made by the victim, Gerhard Sanft.

The police officer told the court that during the interrogation the noble admitted on the night of July 12, 2008 he was driving around on a night out in town with two other people and when they approached Hotel Nuku'alofa they saw there were many people there so they stopped.

They then got out and climbed upstairs to the hotel, which has a bar to continue their night out. The door was closed so Noble Tangipa knocked on the door with his fist, breaking the glass.

The police officer said the noble admitted that he had been drinking alcohol but he was not drunk and he had full recollection of his actions.

The noble then admitted that as the windows cracked, he got into an argument with two of the girls working there and then the victim attacked him and punched him on the left side of this face.

Protection

The policeman said the noble then stated that he then got into a fight with the victim and claimed that Sanft attacked him twice and in that last attack Tangipa then opened up a little pocket knife that was attached to his key chain.

The noble described to the police that the small knife is for fishing and added that he opened the pocket knife because he wanted to protect himself and did not know that in order to protect himself the boy got hurt.

The jury trial which began on May 24 is to conclude next week with the jurors verdict.