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CNN Live At Daybreak

Junta's Son Testifies in Hockey Dad Trial

Aired January 09, 2002 - 06:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Going on with the rest of the news now, the trial of Thomas Junta resumes this morning with what could be critical testimony. Junta is on trial in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He's accused of manslaughter in the beating death of another man during a fight at a hockey rink where both men's sons were playing. CNN's Bill Delaney has details on yesterday's testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELANEY (voice over): Emotion hard to imagine, with just 20 feet or so separating Thomas Junta, accused of Manslaughter from his young son seated before him, off camera, in a Cambridge, Massachusetts courtroom in the witness stand.

The defense calling Junta's son to support his father's contention he killed Michael Costin only in self-defense, beating him to death following a dispute over roughness at a pick-up hockey game Costin supervised at a rink outside Boston.

Junta's son said he came for a non-contact game, winding up with his father watching, elbowed in the throat and in tears.

THOMAS JUNTA'S SON, 12 YEARS OLD: They were hitting us with their slashing, tripping and cross-checking.

THOMAS ORLANDI, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: OK.

SON: And elbowing.

DELANEY: Junta's complaints about the fighting escalating to a deadly brawl, the defense says Costin started, an assertion supported by another witness, college hockey player Ryan Carr, who also suggested he didn't see Junta use excessive force. That's supported from other testimony from Junta's son.

ORLANDI: What, if anything, was Mr. Costin doing with his body at that time?

SON: He was trying to punch and kick my dad to get him off.

ORLANDI: OK.

SON: Like his hands all over him.

ORLANDI: OK, and what, if anything, was your dad doing at that time?

SON: My dad hit him, three quick times, really quick.

DELANEY: Other witnesses though, earlier in the day, saying they saw tremendous horrifying brutality.

VIRGINIA BRINGS, WITNESS: It's something that I'll never forget. He went on and on and I kept hollering and saying stop. And I was thinking the whole time, he's either going to kill this man or he's going to have brain damage.

DELANEY: The prosecution having rested, a case that continues to boil down to, did Junta act in self-defense, and if he did, did he go too far?

(on camera): When the defense resumes Wednesday, testimony is expected from a medical expert possibly another child witness and possibly from Thomas Junta himself in his own defense.

Bill Delaney, CNN, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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