A Bermondsey man accused of battering a dad-of-two

A Bermondsey man accused of battering a dad-of-two into a four month coma claimed he only hit him once in self defence today (Tues).

Rocky Djelal, 21, told the Old Bailey he was forced to punch Cumali Sinankili because the Turk was armed with a knife.

But Djelal denied being responsible for the sickening injuries which put him in a coma.

Djelal and his friend Peter McDonagh, 23, are accused of attacking Cumali Sinankili last Christmas Eve outside a pub.

At least one other man took part in the violence.

The 42-year-old kitchen porter, from Surrey Quays, was left with permanent brain damage after the unprovoked beating.

Djelal, of Lockwood Square, Bermondsey and Peter McDonagh, 23, of no fixed address, deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent and violent disorder.

A third man Barry Coombes, who has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent, will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

A fourth man had been arrested but he was later released without charge.

Today (Tues) Djelal said he personally only struck the victim once in self-defence after Mr Sinankili came at him with a knife.

He told the jury: ‘There was only one punch.

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Djelal said that on Christmas Day afternoon Coombes called him up and told him to get rid of the gang’s clothing worn on the the previous night.

‘He just said: Get rid of the all the clothing.

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‘He said the geezer’s (Mr Sinankili) in trouble.

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Djelal said he gave most of the clothing to a friend called Jimmy Johnson who threw the garments in a bin.

After his arrest Djelal replied ‘no comment’ throughout his police interview because he feared being framed.

‘I wasn’t saying nothing,’ he said.

‘I wasn’t pretending nothing.

My mind was all over the gaff.

‘I wasn’t in the right frame of mind then.

From all those conversations, through all of this I wasn’t thinking straight.

‘I thought it was a stitch up because my jumper had blood on it and I hit the man once out of self-defence

‘I did not think it possible for the blood to get on it,’ he added.

And he added that McDonagh was not involved in the attack.

‘Peter had nothing to do with it,’ he insisted.

It is claimed Djelal, McDonagh and Coombes embarked on a festive rampage trashing two south London pubs before they picked a fight with Mr Sinankili in the street.

The victim was beaten around the head with fists and feet, it is alleged.

It was four months before the victim opened his eyes but he did not recognise his wife and children, the court heard.

Djelal, McDonagh and Coombes, all from Bermondsey, were quizzed by police but refused to answer questions, the court heard.

But the three were trapped by secret surveillance as they sat in their police cells, jurors were told.

The trial continues.

ends