Murder trial witnesses describe fight before fatal prom night stabbing of Brandon Volpi

Two young men testified Wednesday they joined Brandon Volpi to escort a scared friend to his downtown Ottawa hotel on prom night in June 2014 but said they didn't see Volpi get fatally stabbed in the fight that ensued.

Devontay Hackett, 21, is on trial for second-degree murder in the death of Volpi, who was killed outside Les Suites Hotel on Besserer Street, where students were gathered for an after party, around 3:30 a.m. on June 7, 2014.

Mauricio Rodriguez previously testified that he asked his friends for help to get from Les Suites Hotel to the nearby Novotel before he was attacked with a bottle outside by someone he did not recognize.

Rodriguez also said that he had been concerned "something might erupt" that night with Hackett, who he had confronted about a stolen cellphone the week before.

Martin Atak testified Wednesday that Rodriguez was hit in the head with a glass bottle when the group went outside. He said a group of young men then rushed him.

Volpi 'bleeding from his throat,' witness says

"I was getting hit by fists on the back of my head," he recalled. "I tried to defend myself, I put my arms up to protect myself."

He said when the group dispersed, he saw his friend was seriously injured.

"I saw Brandon standing there and he was bleeding from his throat," he said.

Elias El-Koussaifi testified he was in the lobby of Les Suites Hotel with plans to get some late-night pizza when he met a "distressed" Rodriguez and decided to help.

He said he was not expecting a fight, but when he stepped outside he heard a bottle smash, and then there was "screaming and commotion."

El-Koussaifi said he didn't see the bottle but saw Rodriguez surrounded by shards of glass on the ground and in pain holding his head.

Teens helped bleeding Rodriguez back inside

He said he went back inside with Rodriguez, and gave the bleeding teen the T-shirt off his back. It was only when he heard more screaming outside that he went back out and noticed that Volpi was holding his neck.

Under cross-examination, he said he didn't know Hackett by name or by face, and that Rodriguez didn't use a name when describing the threat outside.

A third witness, Nicolina Furano, testified she went out with the group to get pizza, when she saw Rodriguez get hit on the head. 

"It was really fast," she said, adding she went back inside with Rodriguez "because he needed attention to his head."