A court has heard how a man accused of murdering an Indian naval officer attacked him because of the colour of his skin.
John McGrory,20, who was giving evidence in the trial of murder accused Christopher Miller told Glasgow High Court he
saw the 25-year-old land "a knock-out punch" on Kunal Mohanty before running away.
And he also claimed that Mr Miller told him "I've just done a Paki" after he sprinted after him. Giving evidence he said he had been drinking Buckfast and cider in the rose garden near Bedford Lane with some friends when Mr Miller and another man joined them.
When four Asian naval workers who were in Glasgow to sit their captain's exams at Glasgow's Nautical College passed
by, someone asked them for a cigarette. When Mr Miller approached 30-year-old Mr Mohanty, Mr McGrory had originally told the court he saw the pair struggle before Mr Mohanty fell to the floor bleeding.
But after being taken through his evidence by Dorothy Bain QC he agreed that he told the police: "Miller landed a
big roundhouse punch at the guy. It looked like a knockout punch."
He went on to tell the court that Mr Miller ran away as he walked towards Mr Mohanty to see what happened his trousers and
shoes became covered in blood. "I panicked and ran after Chris," he said.
When asked by Ms Bain: "Why did Christopher Miller leave the Rose Garden and go into Bedford Lane to attack Mr Mohanty?"
he replied: "The colour of his skin."
She asked Mr McGrory what Mr Miller had said to him as they walked along Gorbals Street after the incident and he replied: "He said: 'I've just done a Paki. It wasn't in a racist way. It is a racist word, but it wasn't meant in a racist way. "That's what I think."
The jury was also shown a video taken from a CCTV camera at the procurator fiscal's office in Ballater Street seconds
after the attack on Mr Mohanty.
Mr McGrory and Mr Miller are seen walking arm in arm down the street and at one point they raise their arms in the air as if celebrating. Ms Bain said to Mr McGrory: "In that video you look pretty pleased with yourselves, don't you?" and he replied: "Yes."
Under cross-examination by Donald Findlay QC, Mr McGrory was accused of lying when he said that Mr Miller had
delivered a knockout punch, but denied this. Mr Findlay said: "There was no knockout punch and Mr Miller never said: 'I've done a Paki." Mr MrGrory replied: "He did."
Mr Miller denies the racially aggravated murder and also denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by
disposing of clothing allegedly worn at the time of the incident by burning it within a wooded area in Prospecthill Circus,
Glasgow, or elsewhere on March 27 and April 1, this year.
Mr Miller further denies acting in a racially aggravated manner at Sizzler’s Takeaway in Gorbals Street,
Glasgow, on March 27, this year, by making threats of violence, demanding a bladed instrument and
spraying sauce over member of staff Lovepreet Singh and customers.
The trial before temporary judge John Beckett QC continues.
