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West Australian
4 days ago
- West Australian
‘He was going to hit me': Ex-Titans player testifies about fatal punch
A former Gold Coast Titans player accused of fatally striking a man during a street confrontation has taken the stand in his own defence, telling a Brisbane jury he acted out of fear in a chaotic and escalating situation. Oshae Jackson Tuiasau, 29, took to the witness box on Friday in the Supreme Court, where he pleaded not guilty to unlawfully striking Toro George, 39, who died in hospital eight days after collapsing on a Surfers Paradise street in the early hours of December 19, 2021. Mr Tuiasau, a married father who now works alongside his wife running children's events, told the court that he arrived at Havana RnB Nightclub just before midnight with two friends and met several people inside, including Mr George. He recalled that Mr George questioned their presence in the VIP area, allegedly asking: 'Who the f--k are these people?' Mr Tuiasau admitted he had consumed 15 to 20 Coronas that night but said he was not angry or looking for trouble. The court was previously told there had been a night of escalating tensions stemming from a sexual assault allegation inside the nightclub. A young woman, known to Mr Tuiasau, was celebrating her 19th birthday and testified that Mr George touched her inappropriately on the dance floor, prompting her brother to confront him and sparking a series of heated altercations captured on CCTV inside and outside the nightclub. Mr Tuiasau said he became aware of a commotion inside the nightclub involving Mr George but claimed he did not intervene when someone from his group told him that 'Toro had touched (a woman's) vagina'. 'We went somewhere else,' he said of his decision to avoid the confrontation. Mr Tuiasau said he later left the venue with two friends to go to a nearby hotel. Outside the club, police briefly separated both groups and escorted Mr George and others before they ran into Mr Tuiasau and others at the traffic lights. Mr Tuiasau said Mr George apologised to him. 'I'm sorry bro,' Mr George reportedly said. 'It's all good mate,' Mr Tuiasau replied. 'I accepted his apology,' Mr Tuiasau told the court. But tensions soon escalated again as the group walked down the street. Mr Tuiasau and other witnesses told the jury that Mr George's demeanour changed dramatically; he became agitated, loud and aggressive, yelling in both English and Cook Island Maori that he wanted to go back and get his brothers. Mr Tuiasau said he heard Mr George swearing and shouting about getting his 'f--king brothers'. During the short walk, Mr Tuiasau admitted saying to Mr George, 'Don't touch my sister,' and, 'Don't f--king come near me.' 'I felt like he was coming at me aggressively and he was going to hit me,' Mr Tuiasau said, adding that he was also worried for his friend Junior's safety. 'I was just trying to keep him away from me.' CCTV footage showed shoving between Mr George and other members of the group. Mr Tuiasau, who appeared uninvolved in the physical exchanges, was walking on the far side of the group. The footage showed Mr George leaning towards him before Mr Tuiasau suddenly struck him once in the face. Mr George fell backwards and hit his head on the pavement. He immediately lost consciousness. Mr Tuiasau said it all happened in a matter of 'seconds'. 'I didn't have time to think,' he said. Earlier in the trial, the jury was shown harrowing body-worn police footage of the moment officers found Mr George slumped and unconscious on a bench. They initially detected a pulse, but minutes later he went into cardiac arrest. An officer can be heard saying 'I think his pulse is gone … yep.' The officers quickly moved Mr George onto the ground, ripped open his shirt and began CPR. Some of the group admitted to initially lying to police by claiming Mr George had simply collapsed, offering what appeared to be vague or no explanation for their false statements. On Thursday, the court was told that medical experts debated the cause of Mr George's death. Mr Tuiasau's legal team argued the cardiac arrest and subsequent brain injury may have been unrelated to the punch. Forensic pathologist Melissa Thompson told the jury that it was her 'firm opinion' Mr George suffered cardiac arrest due to a concussive shock to the medulla oblongata, the brain stem, likely from striking his head on the ground. She described the punch itself as only 'mild to moderate' in force. Dr Thompson dismissed the possibility of anaphylaxis, noting none of Mr George's friends or treating clinicians reported symptoms consistent with that diagnosis but conceded it couldn't be entirely ruled out, nor could a coincidental cardiac arrest given his pre-existing health issues, including heart disease, cocaine use, and a blood-alcohol reading of 0.246 per cent. The defence's expert, Professor Johan Duflou, told the court that anaphylaxis from cocaine was possible, though unlikely. He also questioned Dr Thompson's theory, pointing out that Mr George's medulla did not display the kind of damage typically expected from a concussive shock. Mr Tuiasau's testimony is set to continue.
West Australian
03-06-2025
- West Australian
Handshake turns deadly in shocking courtroom footage
A former NRL hopeful allegedly accepted an apology from a man, only to fatally punch him moments later during a heated early morning altercation on the Gold Coast. Oshae Jackson Tuiasau, 29, has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully striking 39-year-old Toro George, claiming he acted in self-defence during an escalating street argument. The court was told the confrontation unfolded just before 4am on December 19, 2021, on View Ave in Surfers Paradise. CCTV footage played to the jury showed a group of five men and one woman walking together when Mr George leaned toward Mr Tuiasau, who then struck him once in the face. Mr George fell backwards and hit his head on the pavement. He died in hospital eight days later, on December 27. In court, Mr George's widow became visibly emotional as the moment was replayed on screen, turning away as the fatal blow was shown to the jury. On the second day of his Brisbane Supreme Court trial, Mr George's cousin, Junior Marsters, told the jury he saw the men shake hands and make peace shortly before the alleged punch, which left Mr George unconscious on the pavement. The court was told earlier in the night at the Havana RnB Nightclub, Mr Marsters had heard rumours that Mr George had 'touched' a woman, and confronted him about it. He said Mr George denied the allegation. Footage from inside the nightclub showed a heated confrontation involving Mr George and another man, leading to more people gathering and arguing with some pushing. The court was told the incident was sparked by the allegations that Mr George had sexually assaulted a woman from the other group on the dance floor. Mr Marsters said he was trying to keep two groups apart during the heated dispute. CCTV footage showed the altercation then led outside of the nightclub when uniformed police officers stepped in and attempted to disperse the crowd. Mr Marsters said he walked off with Mr George before meeting back up with Mr Tuiasau and their niece Lekisha Marsters. 'He (George) apologised … (Tuiasau) accepted the apology,' Mr Marsters told the court. The group began walking together, but tensions soon flared again. Several witnesses said Mr George became increasingly agitated as he insisted on returning to find his brothers. However, the others were unwilling to go back and told him to meet them at the hotel instead. Mr Marsters told the court that Mr George began 'screaming' at him in a mix of Cook Island Māori and English 'He was firm on finding his brothers,' Mr Marsters said. He said the two of them were getting 'angry' at each other. The CCTV footage, leading up to the punch, showed the group arguing with some shoving. Mr Tuiasau is shown walking on the far right side of the group, not appearing to be involved in any physical confrontation. As Mr George leaned toward him, Mr Tuiasau quickly struck him once in the face, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement. He immediately lost consciousness. Family members of Mr George looked away each time the footage of the punch was played to the jury. During the first viewing, one relative audibly gasped at the confronting vision. The footage then showed several people rush to his aid, while Mr Tuiasau walked away. Lekisha Masters described being in disbelief, seeing her uncle fall to the ground. 'I was in shock … I tried to help him up to get him on to the chair,' Ms Marsters said. Mr Marsters also described feeling in 'shock' at seeing his cousin go down. 'I told the boys, that's enough, because I'm worried about my family now,' Mr Marsters said, Another witness, Odain Masters, said he heard Mr Tuiasau say 'that is what you get'. Ms Marsters said she didn't hear him say anything as he walked away from the scene. Under cross-examination, Ms Marsters admitted she initially told police her uncle had fallen and hit his head, and not that he had been punched. She didn't explain why she and another witness gave that version to police. Mr Tuiasau was arrested at 4.30am and interviewed at the Southport watch house later that morning, while Mr George was still fighting for his life. He was initially charged with grievous bodily harm. In a video of the police interview played to the jury, Mr Tuiasau appeared subdued and admitted to throwing the punch. 'I looked at him and then I, I hit him … I punched him,' Mr Tuiasau told police. 'It was a good night … up until the very end.' He said he got a 'shock' when Mr George fell and admitted he had been drinking throughout the night. Mr Tuiasau told police the confrontation began while the group was leaving Havana RnB Nightclub and that Mr George had 'started swearing'. He said hearing that Mr George had allegedly assaulted a woman known to him inside the club 'triggered' him. 'We got face-to-face,' he said. Crown Prosecutor Toby Corsbie told the court Mr Tuiasau had lashed out after learning of the alleged assault, but the punch was a 'single moment in time, a single choice' that caused Mr George's heart to stop. Mr Tuiasau's barrister, Craig Eberhardt KC, argued his client acted in self-defence against 'a drunk and aggressive man who had already sexually assaulted a woman that night.' 'It is tragic that he died,' Mr Eberhardt told the court. He said some of the witnesses were not being truthful in their accounts of what happened that night. Mr George's wife, Arden George, became visibly emotional during the proceedings, as the events leading to her husband's death were replayed in court. The trial is expected to last five days, with further witnesses expected to give evidence this week.
