02:27
Reportage
One of two men accused of the bashing murder of a woman drug dealer claimed yesterday that he had been shocked and scared when his co-accused suddenly started beating the 41-year-old victim.Samir Hishmeh was giving evidence in the Supreme Court where he and co-accused Rohan Tait Johnston both deny murdering Christine Van Dongen in her Mt Nasura home on January 3 last year.The court has previously been told the men deny they inflicted fatal injuries or planned to endanger her life, with each of them giving separate accounts of what happened to a shared acquaintance.Yesterday, Mr Hishmeh took the witness stand and claimed he simply believed he was helping recover a debt at the home and was shocked when he saw Mr Johnston strike Ms Van Dongen, try to choke her and then use cable ties to bind...
