Sea Eagles hooker Manase Fainu fronted court on Tuesday as the alleged church-stabbing case continues, closing in on nearly three years since the reported incident took place.
A courtroom has been told that Fainu, who had one arm in a sling, stabbed a youth leader in the back with a steak knife during a frenzied late-night brawl in a church carpark in October, 2019.
The 24 year-old pled not guilty to wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in front of the Parramatta District Court on Tuesday.
The rising NRL star had one arm in a sling when he stabbed a youth leader in the back with his opposite hand during a frenzied late-night brawl in a church carpark, a court has been told, per News Corp.ย
The Sea Eagle denied stabbing Faamanu Levi in the back and above his right eye following a Mormon church dance in southwest Sydney in 2019.
Levi, a youth leader at church, was rushed to hospital with a punctured lung and internal bleeding.
However, Fainuโs barrister, Margaret Cunneen, told the jury on Tuesday that it was a case of mistaken identity and Mr Fainu had no issue with anyone at the dance.
After an argument broke out at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wattle Grove, the group was asked to 'not fight on church grounds' and reportedly moved to the cark park.
Prosecutor Emma Curran stated in court that a witness could confirm Faniu's identity after allegedly witnessing him perform the stabbing in 2019.
โTony (the eye witness) will tell you, I expect, he saw the accused holding a knife, described as a steak knife, in his right hand with his arm bent at a 90-degree angle.
โTony also saw that the accusedโs left arm was in a sling.
โTony will tell you he then saw the accused step forward and swing his hand which was holding the knife into Leviโs back, striking him just underneath the shoulder blade.โ
The victim sustained a cut above his right eye alongside the internal bleeding and punctured lung.
It is alleged Fainu and his friends fled the scene in a car shortly afterwards.
The trial is currently ongoing.
