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Witness to hockey dad: 'You're going to kill him'

Thomas Junta listens to witnesses testify about the altercation.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A witness in the manslaughter trial of a man accused of beating to death another father at a youth hockey practice testified that she screamed to the defendant to stop.

"You're going to kill him," Nancy Blanchard, a skating rink employee, recalled she yelled at Thomas Junta, 43.

Prosecutors are expected to rest their case Tuesday against Junta, who is accused of beating to death Michael Costin, 40, in a July 5, 2000, fight over their sons' hockey practice.

Costin was supervising the practice and acting as goalie. Junta said the fight broke out after he complained the game was too rough. Both men's sons were playing in the practice.

Blanchard, an employee of the Burbank Ice Rink in Reading, testified Monday that Junta left the rink after an initial scuffle and pushed her aside when she told him he could not return.

"He bruised me when he pushed me," she said, describing Junta as angry and testifying he slammed the door upon his return, when the fight resumed.

"He had his head in his left hand. He was punching Mr. Costin's head and neck repeatedly," she said, blinking away tears and her voice cracking.

Junta's attorney questioned Blanchard about differences between her initial report to police and her testimony Friday, which had more detail.

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Blanchard said she did not believe that her first account was supposed to be an exhaustive narrative of what happened.

Several witnesses testified Monday that Junta appeared to quickly overpower Costin. One young man said he saw Costin throw a punch at Junta. Others said they did not see Costin make contact with Junta.

One 12-year-old girl, identified only as Rachel, said she saw Junta tackle Costin.

"He pretty much threw him to the ground," she said. "There were several punches to the face."

Robert Ryan Carr, 21, said he saw Junta straddle or kneel over a "flailing" Costin and punch him in the face. At one point, Junta "jammed" Costin's head into the mat, Carr said. After that, Costin stopped moving, he said.

Prosecutors also played a tape Monday of the statement Junta gave police shortly after the fight.

"I wish it never happened, and I hope the guy is fine," Junta said on the tape.

In the calm but profanity-laced statement, Junta told police he was upset with some rough play during the practice.

"Hockey's supposed to be fun time," he said he told Costin, who according to Junta responded, "It's hockey. That's the way its played."

The men got into a shouting match, which deteriorated into a fight, Junta said in the statement, saying Costin kicked at him with his skates.

Junta then left the rink but returned, he said, because his 10-year-old son and two other boys he was to pick up after the practice did not follow him out.

At that point, Junta said, the fight resumed because "Costin was looking for me."

A medical examiner testified Friday that Costin was beaten so severely he suffered deep hemorrhages on the left side of his neck and a torn artery in the brain, a form of stroke.

Dr. Stanton Kessler showed graphic autopsy pictures as he described Costin's extensive injuries, including bruises on both sides of his face, a bloody nose and deep bruising and swelling around his left ear, neck, shoulder and mid-back.

The prosecution said Junta beat Costin, threw him down, sat on him and banged his head on the floor.

Defense attorney Thomas Orlandi Jr. charged that Costin -- more than 100 pounds lighter than the defendant but wearing protective hockey gear -- was the aggressor during the incident and Junta -- 6-foot-1, 270 pounds -- was simply trying to defend himself.

Junta, his son and one of the victim's sons were expected to testify in the trial. Junta, a truck driver, could face 20 years in prison if convicted.