The trial continues over the death of Cam Smith, a carpenter who police say was killed by Jack Ledlin on 25 November 2020 following a fight in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Seaford.
The incident was described in court as having taken place after the 26-year-old-victim and ex-partner of Natasha Stroumos had dinner at a restaurant.
Smith and Stroumos were taking leftovers to her car and preparing to watch the sunset at the beach when they walked past Ledlin, 21, and girlfriend Scarlett Taylor who allegedly verbally abused Stroumos.
In an emotional testimony before the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday, Stroumos said that Smith defended her and that he later dismissed her suggestion to drive to the beach so they could avoid coming across the couple again.
“He said it would be fine, we’d just walk straight past them,” she told the court.
When Smith and Stroumos crossed paths with them again, two more men had joined the group, one of whom, according to Stroumos, punched Smith in the head.
“He gave me his sunglasses and told me to hold onto them … he punched him back and they started fighting,” Stroumos said.
During cross-examination by the defendant’s lawyer, Stroumos denied the allegation that Smith had thrown the first punch.
The two had broken up in 2020 after a four-year relationship, but are said to have remained friends since, with Stroumos telling the court they “still had feelings” for one another.
http://www.facebook.com/natasha.stroumos/posts/10224690185218359
Smith died before paramedics arrived at the scene, after a stab wound pierced his left and right ventricle and fractured his sternum, according to prosecutor Jane Warren.
Mr Ledlin, 21, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder.
The trial is continuing.
