Ex-soldier denies knowing about Darlaston machete attack which left motorist with serious injuries
A former soldier accused of attempting to murder a motorist in a machete attack in a Darlaston street has told a jury he played no part in the incident.
The victim Inderjit Singh Dulay 33-year-old was left with "really serious injuries" including skull fractures during the incident which happened near Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre on November 21 last year.
Giving evidence on the witness stand on Tuesday defendant Rees MacDonald, aged 29, of Brewood, told Wolverhampton Crown Court that he "knew of" Mr Dulay.
During the trial the jury has been shown camera footage of the car Macdonald was in arriving at the scene at the junction of Richard Street and The Flatts seconds after the victim was struck, stopping before being driven quickly over a speed hump and towards Victoria Road.
Defence barrister Stephen Cadwaladr asked Macdonald: “Did you have any idea what was going to happen in Richards Street?”
He replied: “I had no idea.”
Macdonald told the court that he was a drug dealer and that he peddled crack cocaine and heroin on behalf of others in the Rough Hay area of the town in the evenings, operating a phone line called “Iceland”.
He said that he recognised some of the people he saw when he drove past the scene and knew them to be drug users.
Mr Cadwaladr asked: “Did you know that the attack was going to happen at the time?”
The defendant replied: “ I didn’t have anything to do with what happened. I dropped some drugs off at Rough Hay across the other side of the town. My next drop was in Latches Close.”
He added that after leaving the Rough Hay estate he turned right into Richards Street and came across the incident.
He told the jury that he had attended special school as a child and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after serving in the 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment during which he saw action in Afghanistan in 2013.
He also said he grew up in the West Bromwich area and had previous convictions including for causing death by dangerous driving in 2020 for which he received a suspended jail sentence and before that he served a three-year prison term relating to theft in 2016.
The prosecution alleges that Mr Dulay was left with "really serious" and life changing injuries as a result of the incident which happened at about 8pm in the residential area. He also suffered a brain bleed, cuts and slash wounds.
He had been heading to a take away with his girlfriend when their car was allegedly cornered by other vehicles.
A number of residents captured the incident on their mobile phones and called the emergency services.
MacDonald, of Shepherds Fold, Brewood; Danyel Nadeem, aged 21, of Bright Street, Darlaston; and Zuhayb Abdi, aged 28, of Linwood Road, Handsworth, all deny attempted murder and wounding with intent. The trial continues.