A doctor will on Thursday give medical evidence in relation to a murder case at Shortland Islands, Western Province last year.
The long form preliminary inquiry started in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
An eye witness of the murder case gave a detailed account of what occurred on the morning of 12 June 2015.
This witness told the court he and the deceased had just returned from another village in Shortland to Mono when the incident took place.
The court heard the witness and the deceased were taken to another village for their safety after they gave their statement to the police relating to the dispute over logging operations at Mono.
The incident involved physical confrontation sparked by dispute over logging operations in the Shortland Islands.
The witness told the court that he saw the accused Kidoe Tufu pushed a knife to the deceased’s stomach but the deceased blocked the knife with an empty container he was holding.
He then said he saw Tufu swing the knife to the deceased’s face swinging it up and down.
Later he said a group of men whom he named 11, ran over to the deceased with stones and knives.
After one of the 11 men failed an attempt to kick the deceased, the witness said he saw Tufu whipped the knife twice on top of the deceased’s head and at the back of his head.
He said at that point, he saw the container the deceased was holding fell from the deceased’s hand. He said the deceased looked weak like he was about to fall when Tufu pushed him.
The witness told the court that as soon as the deceased fell on the ground, all the men including Tufu escaped.
It was alleged that on the day of the alleged incident, a fight broke out between the anti-loggers and the supporters of Tri Jam logging company which owns logging machines at Mono station.
It was alleged that the conflict and threats were between the supporters of the logging company and the villagers opposed to logging activities on the Island.
Anderson Kesaka of DNS & Partners is representing Tufu while Public Prosecutor Sirepu Ramosaea is prosecuting.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN