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Son recalls fatal fight between hockey dads

Defendant Thomas Junta listen to his son recall the July 2000 fight.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- The 12-year-old son of a man charged with beating to death a man at a hockey rink testified Tuesday his father was trying to protect himself, hitting the other man "three quick times."

The boy said his father, Thomas Junta, charged with manslaughter in the death of Michael Costin, said Costin was on his father's back in the July 5, 2000, scuffle. The elder Junta then flipped Costin onto the ground and hit him, the son said.

Junta could face 20 years in prison if convicted of killing Costin, 40, who lost consciousness in the fracas and died the next day.

The fight broke out at the Burbank Skating Arena in Reading, Massachusetts, after Junta, 43, argued with Costin about rough play during a hockey practice Costin had been supervising. Both men's sons played in that practice and witnessed the fatal fight.

The judge has ordered that minors testifying in the case not be identified.

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"He just, like, held him back," the son said, adding that Costin, wearing ice skates, was kicking at his father.

Other men broke up the fight, but it resumed when Junta returned into the rink, testimony showed.

At that point, the son -- he described the hockey practice as rough -- said he saw his father flip Costin, who had been on his father's back. Costin wound up on the ground on his back, and Junta was on his knees, the boy said. "My dad hit him three quick times," the youngster said.

Asked by Prosecutor Sheila Catkins whether he yelled at his father to stop, the boy replied, "Yes."

Others gave a not-so-gentle account, telling the court they saw Junta strike Costin multiple times. The boy also was the first witness to say that he saw Costin on Junta's back.

Junta's defense team called his son to the stand after the prosecution rested its case, which concluded with the testimony of a woman who said Junta ignored her pleas to stop the beating.

"It's something that I'll never forget," said Virginia Brings. "He went on and on. And I kept hollering and saying, 'Stop.' And I was thinking the whole time, 'He's either going to kill the man or he's going to have brain damage.'"

Brings said the fight unfolded in two parts. Other witnesses offered the same testimony.

In the first scuffle, Brings said, she heard several children crying. "I can remember one little boy saying, 'Daddy, don't do it, don't do it,'" Brings said.

Junta left the rink, but returned and "lunged" at Costin, Brings said. Junta pinned Costin and kept hitting him even after Costin had stopped trying to defend himself, she told the court.

"I remember shouting at Mr. Junta, 'He's not responding, he's not responding. Don't hit him anymore,' " Bring said.

Junta could face 20 years in prison if convicted. Junta, his son and one of the victim's sons are expected to testify in the trial. The prosecution expects to rest its case Tuesday.

On Monday, jurors heard a police tape recording made after the incident in which Junta described the fight. "I wish it never happened, and I hope the guy is fine," Junta said.

The defense says that Costin -- more than 100 pounds lighter than the defendant but wearing protective hockey gear -- was the aggressor during the incident and Junta, at 6-foot-1 and 270 pounds, was trying to defend himself.

Junta appeared to quickly overpower Costin, several witnesses testified Monday. One said he saw Costin throw a punch at Junta; others said they did not see Costin make contact with Junta.

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.