On the night he was thrown or dropped outside a Blenheim pub, Matthew Heagney's head hit the concrete so hard people across the road heard it, the High Court has been told.
The 24-year-old Blenheim man died just hours later on August 23, 2009, at Wairau Hospital, in Blenheim, from a severe head injury.
Accused of causing Mr Heagney's death is former Shapeshifters bar owner Kevin Robert King, 50. He stood yesterday in the dock of the High Court in Wellington just metres from Mr Heagney's family sitting in the public gallery. He has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and is on trial before Justice Jillian Mallon and a jury. The hearing is estimated to last two weeks.
The Crown alleges King put Mr Heagney in a headlock before carrying him outside with two bouncers and dropping him, unconscious, on the footpath where he suffered the fatal head injury.
But defence lawyers Mike Turner and Bryony Millar say he acted with reasonable force to defend himself and his staff.
Tasman Crown prosecutor Mark O'Donoghue said Mr Heagney arrived after 2am when the bar no longer let people in, but he sneaked past a doorman. That doorman, Cameron Wright-Munro, grabbed Mr Heagney as he was leaving a short time later.
King put Mr Heagney in a headlock as Mr Wright-Munro tried to lock his arms together, and female bouncer Dewy Zuidema grabbed his legs. Mr O'Donoghue said they carried him out about 2.40am, and a witness reported seeing Mr Heagney being punched on the ground.
"He was either thrown or dropped outside," he said. "He was no longer struggling or resisting. His feet were off the ground and he was limp, unconscious and floppy."
People across the road heard his head hit the concrete "because it was with such great force".
Mr Heagney's brain stem was so damaged nothing could be done to save him, Mr O'Donoghue said.
In her opening statement for the defence, Mrs Millar said Mr Heagney pushed his way into Shapeshifters and a scuffle broke out when Mr Wright-Munro confronted him.
King put Mr Heagney into a headlock and they fell to the ground, with Mr Heagney on top, Mrs Millar said. Ms Zuidema grabbed his legs, but stumbled and let go as King did. Mr Heagney landed on the footpath.
Mrs Millar said King had to restrain Mr Heagney to protect his doorman and did not punch him or hold him in a way that would render him unconscious.
Matthew Heagney had hosted a party the night he died, witnesses told the High Court in Wellington yesterday during the first day of the trial for the man accused with his death.
The 24-year-old Blenheim man died on August 23 last year from a severe head injury a few hours after being thrown out of Shapeshifters bar in central Blenheim.
Former bar owner Kevin Robert King, 50, is charged with manslaughter.
Mr Heagney's girlfriend, Ema Arnold, and close friends Scott McDermid, Helen Griffen and Jesse Grant gave evidence yesterday that Mr Heagney had hosted a large gathering at his house in Holdaway St, Blenheim, to watch a rugby test and welcome a new flatmate.
Mr Heagney had been drinking but was not excessively drunk, they said. None of them had ever seen him act aggressively.
Miss Arnold headed into town and Mr Heagney and a small group stayed behind to clean up. He talked to Miss Griffen about problems he and Miss Arnold had in their relationship. When his friends left, he took a taxi to find Miss Arnold at the Loft, the upstairs section of Shapeshifters.
Miss Arnold said they danced, then he followed her into the ladies' toilet to tell her he wanted to leave, but she wanted to stay. Mr Grant said he saw Mr Heagney walk from the toilets with a "distant" look on his face and leave the bar. Miss Arnold told the court she thought he was fine.
Soon after, he text messaged Miss Arnold that he was sorry he came into town, but he wanted to see her and told her to have fun.
Under cross-examination, Miss Arnold was shown security camera footage showing Mr Heagney leaving Shapeshifters before he sent the text message, then walking back inside. Six minutes later he was ejected from the bar. Miss Arnold was aware Mr Heagney was missing when she returned home, but did not learn what had happened until much later.
The Marlborough Express
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