A ‘FUN’ EVENING SMOKING CANNABIS AND DRINKING WHIS

A ‘FUN’ EVENING SMOKING CANNABIS AND DRINKING WHISKY TOOK A
NASTY TWIST WHEN FOUR YOUTHS TRIED TO MURDER THE PROPRIETER OF A
SHEPHERD’S BUSH HOTEL, THE OLD BAILEY HEARD YESTERDAY.

(WEDNESDAY).

WHAT SOME OF THE DEFENDENTS HAD ALLEGEDLY THOUGHT WAS A JOKE
TURNED SERIOUS WHEN 60-YEAR-OLD MR.

BOZO BALAC ALMOST DIED AS HIS
THROAT WAS SAWN AT WITH A KNIFE.

HE WAS ALLEGEDLY ONLY SAVED BY A QUICK-THINKING RESIDENT WHO
HEARD THE NOISE AND SOUNDED THE FIRE ALARM, CAUSING THE YOUTHS TO
FLEE.

THREE OF THE YOUTHS, ROGER PAUL LEWIS, 18; RODNEY MARTIN
HYPOLITE, 17; AND GABRIEL GREGORY LOUISY, 17, WERE RESIDENTS OF THE
BED AND BREAKFAST HOTEL IN ASKEW ROAD AT THE TIME.

A FRIEND, ANTHONY CHRISTODOULOUS, 17, OF CONINGHAM ROAD,
SHEPHERD’S BUSH WAS ALSO PRESENT DURING THE INCIDENT.

ALL FOUR HAVE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER AND
CAUSING GREVIOUS BODILY HARM WITH INTENT.

NO-ONE HAS ADMITTED TO HITTING MR.

BALAC OVER THE HEAD WITH A
MONKEY WRENCH OR SAWING AT HIS NECK WITH A KNIFE.

COUNSEL FOR THE YOUTHS ARGUED THAT MR.

BALAC’S ACCOUNT OF THE
EVENTS COULDN’T BE RELIED ON AS HE HAD BEEN DRINKING THAT NIGHT, HAD
BEEN TO SLEEP, AND THEN HIT OVER THE HEAD.

‘MR.

BALAC WAS NOT REALLY SURE WHAT HE SAW.

HE ONLY SAW THREE
MEN AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT THERE WAS FOUR INVOLVED,’ COUNSEL SAID.

CHRISTODOULOUS, GIVING EVIDENCE, SAID HIS ROLE WAS TO KNOCK ON
MR.

BALAC’S DOOR.

HE SAID AS THE DOOR WAS OPENED THE MONKEY WRENCH WAS THROWN
OVER AND HIT MR.

BALAC ON THE HEAD.

MR.

BALAC’S HEAD WAS BLEEDING
PROFUSELY.

HE SAID HE RAN INTO MR.

BALAC’S BEDROOM AFTER HE FELL ON
HIM AND HE GOT BLOOD ON HIS JACKET.

CHRISTODOULOUS SAID HE STARTED PICKING UP MONEY IN MR.

BALAC’S
BEDROOM.

HE HEARD MR.

BALAC CRY OUT IN THE LIVING ROOM AND TURNED AND
REALISED HIS NECK WAS BEING SLASHED.

AT THAT TIME THE ALARM WENT OFF
AND HE FLED.

COUNSEL FOR HYPOLITE SAID HIS CLIENT HAD NOT HELD MR.

BALAC
DOWN WHILE HIS THROAT WAS CUT, AS WAS FIRST SUGGESTED.

‘THE BLOOD WAS ALL AROUND THE CHAIR MR.

BALAC WAS SITTING ON,
BUT THERE WAS NONE ON HYPOLITE’S CLOTHES,’ IT WAS SAID.

LOUISY’S COUNSEL SAID HIS CLIENT HAD TRIED TO SAVE MR.

BALAC’S
LIFE WHEN HE SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

HE SAID LOUISY HAD RAN INTO MR.

BALAC’S BEDROOM TO GET MONEY
AND WHEN HE REALISED SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING HE YELLED OUT TO LEWIS
‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LEAVE HIM ALONE.

‘
HE SAID LOUISY HAD PUSHED LEWIS AWAY FROM MR.

BALAC AND THEN
THE ALARM WENT OFF.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS.

*