A joke about penis size between two patrons of an Umbilo pub was the apparent cause of an altercation which left four people dead last year.
This was the evidence yesterday of a survivor of the September 10 shooting at the Merseyside Pub and Tavern in the Queensmead shopping centre which claimed the lives of Rory Menzies, Shawn Strydom, Johannes Jansen van Rensburg and Bruce Edwards.
Edwards's son, Shaun, was also shot and wounded.
The two men charged with four counts of murder and one of attempted murder, brothers and police inspectors Samuel and Leon Steven, pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of the trial before Durban High Court Acting Judge Guido Penzhorn.
In a statement submitted to the court, Samuel Steven claimed the entire incident was sparked by "racial slurs" directed at one of his friends by white patrons at the bar.
This led to a "wrestle" in the parking lot outside. Wishing to leave, Samuel said, he tried to go inside to fetch his brother, but the door was slammed in his face. He then heard a gunshot and drew his firearm.
He claimed that when he got inside he was attacked by the patrons and he opened fire in self-defence.
Leon Steven declined to disclose his defence.
Witness Thomas Vivian said he went to the bar that night to meet his friend, Rory Menzies. They were joined by another friend of Menzies, whose name he did not recall.
The friend went to the toilet and returned with a "little Indian man".
"They were joking with each other about penis size and whose was bigger. It was just banter. Everyone was laughing," he said.
Soon after, Samuel Steven approached their table with the "little guy" and demanded to know who had called him a "coolie", he said.
"The little guy kept telling him that he had it wrong and no one had used that word."
He said they all went outside where the "little guy" continued insisting that Samuel was "making a speech for nothing". They then all returned inside.
But, Vivian said, Samuel returned to the table, apparently looking for a fight, and slapped him on the back of his head.
They went outside again, where Samuel and Vivian fought.
"While outside I heard someone say something about a gun. I managed to free myself by sticking my fingers into Samuel's eyes.
"As we walked back in, the manageress was closing the door. Shawn Strydom was standing in the corner and I heard him say, 'No guns, don't come in with guns.' Then I saw Shaun Edwards running past me shouting about guns.
"I turned around and saw Leon Steven. Shaun Edwards was between us, so I could only see his face. I heard a shot go off and Shaun grabbed his groin and said he had been hit."
Vivian said he then saw Samuel Steven with a black pistol. "He turned the firearm towards Shawn Strydom and pulled the trigger.
"Bruce Edwards jumped up to run to his son, but as he got up, he fell to the ground and he was also obviously shot. Rory was shot standing to next me."
In total, he heard six shots.
Under cross-examination, Vivian admitted that he had gone outside to fight on the second occasion but denied provoking anything.
He also conceded that he had not seen Leon with a gun, "but I definitely heard it".