'I didn't intend to hurt anyone': Tauranga stabbing accused

The scene of alleged deliberate stabbing incident in the early hours of October 1, 2017. Photo/File

One of the two Auckland brothers on trial accused of deliberating stabbing a man at the Bahama Hut bar has repeatedly denied he intended to hurt anyone.

Rocky Ronaki, 31, who is on trial in the Tauranga District Court, yesterday told the jury he had only brandished the knife to protect himself, his brother Kiore and sister-in-law.

Rocky Ronaki and Kiore Ronaki, 29, have denied a joint charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Logan Abbott.

The Crown alleged that Rocky Ronaki intentionally used the knife to stab Abbott inside the smoking area of Bahama Hut in the early hours of October 1, 2017.

Abbott was stabbed in the abdomen just below his ribs and he was treated at Tauranga Hospital for a laceration to his liver but made a full recovery, the court heard.

The Crown alleges Abbott was stabbed during a "brief violent episode" during which a female patron was punched unconscious allegedly by Kiore Ronaki, plus another patron allegedly had a knife brandished at her when she came to the felled woman's aid.

Kiore Ronaki is defending charges of assault with intent to injure and assault with a weapon, while his older brother has also denied a further charge of assault.

Rocky Ronaki told the court he had no idea how Abbott got injured and only pulled the knife from his bag and brandished it to help calm the situation down.

He claimed he was defending himself, his brother and his sister-in-law after things got "quite messy" in the bar as people began to surge aggressively towards their group.

"I got scared and pulled out to knife to try and diffuse things and hold people back, and I was telling people to chill out and calm down. I thought I was going to be hurt.

"People were starting to coming towards us but my intention was not to hurt anyone, that was absolutely not my intention. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

Rocky Ronaki refuted Crown prosecutor Richard Jenson's suggestion that he and his brother were the aggressors that night.

Jenson also put it Rocky Ronaki that the CCTV footage clearly showed him lunging forward and stabbing Abbott while three security staff were trying to hold him back.

"No mister that's not correct. I never intended to hurt anyone... I didn't even know I had injured anyone until the police officer told me," he claimed.

The trial continues tomorrow .