Opinion ID: 1942017
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendant Abney's Evidence.

Text: Diane Abney, appellant's twenty-year-old sister, testified that Walker entered the house around midnight on the night in question. Smith came upstairs from the basement and told Walker to leave the house, to which Walker pulled out this little knife and said, `I'll shank you.' Walker then went outside, and as he tried to open the screen door, Smith slammed it in Walker's face. Diane Abney then went upstairs to take a shower when she heard Angelic Elliott scream, which caused her to run to an upstairs window. She saw Abney holding Smith, who was leaning down, in his grasp. She saw a little shiny part in Walker's hand, which caused her to run downstairs, where she saw Walker jump in a car and pull off. Abney was left standing beside Smith who was leaning over. Smith and Abney then entered the house; Abney had no blood on him, but Smith bled on the floor and proceeded downstairs. Someone had asked Abney why he did it, to which Abney responded that it was because of the previous pole incident. [2] Abney testified on his own behalf. He stated that on the morning of July 7, 1990, while he was sleeping, he heard voices arguing at approximately 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. Abney walked downstairs and saw Smith and Walker arguing with each other on either side of the screen door. Abney then went out on the porch to talk to Walker, and Smith followed him outside and began physically fighting with Walker. Abney testified that he attempted to push Walker and Smith back away from each other. While Abney stood between them, Walker ran around a bush in the yard, and then they (Walker and Smith) got back into each other's face. Walker struck Smith in the face, causing Smith to fall, and then Walker kicked Smith in the face, and Smith clung to the fence. Abney then attempted to lift Smith up from the waist, but was unsuccessful in raising him, and Smith fell back into the fence with Abney's hands still around his waist. Abney testified that as he lifted his brother up, he saw Walker's hand movements, but could not see if Walker actually hit Smith since Smith's head obstructed his view. He made no attempt to push Walker off of Smith. Abney further testified that he had not seen a weapon in Walker's hand, nor was he aware that Smith had been stabbed. Abney denied being asked why he had done it after he returned inside the house.