'Attack for touching sister'

A security guard at Bakers Lane, Kristie Tucker, was giving evidence in the trial of Jeffrey Robert Anderson, of Blackstone Heights, who pleaded not guilty to wounding Matthew Hart on June 24, 2018.

The jury heard Mr Hart received a four-centimetre wound to his face when hit with a glass. Ms Tucker said she had walked around with a man after the incident trying to find out what happened and spotted a man at a bus stop.

"The male I was with said 'that's the guy'," she said. Ms Tucker said she responded by saying "but he's been hurt.'

"He said 'yes I did it, he touched my sister'," she said. She said the man had cuts on his hands. Crown prosecutor Jennifer Slevin told the jury Ms Tucker identified Mr Anderson in a photoboard line-up of 12 men about a month later.

Ms Tucker agreed with defence counsel Fran McCracken that in her statutory declaration she had reported the man as saying "he did something to my sister so I hit him". Witness Rebecca Mitchell, who was out for the night with Mr Anderson's sister, Rachel, gave evidence that she saw Mr Anderson on the dance floor. She said she had not seen him strike anyone but had seen him fall to the floor. Ms Mitchell said she saw Mr Anderson leave with a security guard before catching up with him on the corner of Charles and York streets.

"I saw a cut on his hand and he was explaining to a police officer what happened," she said. "It was bleeding, it was quite a deep cut." Rachel Anderson said she was within two metres of her brother on the dance floor but had not seen him strike anyone. She said he stood between her and a group of males who were pushing and shoving. Outside she said she saw a cut on his hand. She said her brother was about two metres away but had not seen him strike anyone. Ms McCracken said the issue was who had struck Mr Hart.