Naya Ropiu Fabian Wharekura, 29, is on trial in the High Court at Invercargill, defending charges of murdering Chad Terrance Parekura, and attempting to murder Austin Jazz McGregor on April 23, 2022.
He earlier pleaded guilty to alternative charges of manslaughter and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
In February this year, the defendant was on trial for the same charges, but it was abandoned on the second day of evidence.
The Crown said Wharekura stabbed the two men outside the Invercargill courthouse after he ripped off Mr McGregor in a drug deal.
The Crown alleged Wharekura intended to kill the two men when he attacked them.
Today, Mr McGregor gave evidence he heard someone say “move back, he’s got a knife” seconds before he was stabbed.
The knife punctured his lung and fractured his rib, he said.
“I felt like I was losing something inside me. I felt fear, and I thought I was going to die,” Mr McGregor said.
Earlier in the night he had arranged to sell some MDMA to his friend.
Mr McGregor got into a car outside Tillermans Nightclub where his friend, Wharekura and another person were.
Wharekura asked to look at the drugs and Mr McGregor handed them over.
Mr McGregor said the defendant refused to pay him and would not give the drugs back.
He and Wharekura left the car.
“He was walking toward me like he wanted to fight me. I felt threatened,” Mr McGregor said.
“I just left. He's a lot bigger than me so I was a bit afraid of the guy.”
Counsel Sonia Vidal showed Mr McGregor CCTV footage of him smiling at a bouncer moments after the drug deal took place.
“Rather than being scared. . . you were more than happy at the time,” Ms Vidal said.
“[Because] one way or another you were going to get your money from the defendant.”
Mr McGregor denied that and explained he was glad to see the bouncer who was his friend.
Justice Paul Radich is presiding over the trial, which is expected to hear from 32 Crown witnesses and last two weeks.
