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Umar Hussein Alkhalifa Al Enizi, aged 24, entered a plea of not guilty today regarding the murder of Troy Edward Vandenberg, which occurred in Browns Plains, south of Brisbane, on September 17, 2021.
The Queensland Supreme Court jury was informed that Vandenberg, 25, and Al Enizi were strangers to one another.
Prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke explained to the jury that there is no dispute over the fact that Vandenberg died just meters from his residence, succumbing to injuries inflicted when Al Enizi allegedly drove an Audi into him.
“This trial centers on the reasoning behind Mr. Vandenberg being hit by the defendant with the vehicle: that is the issue at hand,” O’Rourke articulated during her opening remarks.
“The Crown contends that the act was deliberate.”
The incident started about 2.30pm that day near the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane’s inner southern suburbs.
Al Enizi was driving a white Audi and Vandenberg was driving a blue Toyota Camry
“Something happened between the two of them that frustrated Mr Vandenberg,” O’Rourke said.
Vandenberg, wearing only underwear, got out of his car at the traffic lights and approached Al Enizi and told him to “open the f—ing door” and hit Al Enizi’s car when he did not do so.
“The pair threw punches at each other but (no witnesses) saw the punches actually connect. The men separated and then went back to their cars,” O’Rourke said.
Both men ended up driving off in the same direction to their respective homes.
At 2.55pm the pair ended up at a housing estate at Logan with Vandenberg following Al Enizi and kicking his car at an intersection.
Witnesses would testify Vandenberg later picked up a hammer and was standing on the roadway before Al Enizi drove across two lanes in order to strike Vandenberg with his car, O’Rourke said.
The jurors were told they would see CCTV footage of Vandenberg being thrown into the air by the impact.
Al Enizi had simply responded in a split second to an impending threat from Vandenberg, who had a hammer and was behaving in an “aggressive unhinged, and terrifying” manner, defence barrister Saul Holt told the jury.
“Troy Vandenberg ran out from the other side (of the road) on a path to intercept Mr Al Enizi’s car as it was driving through and Mr Vandenberg threw a hammer at full force towards his windscreen,” Holt said.
Vandenberg was a muscular man who said on the phone “some black curry-munching c— has just cut me off”, after his first encounter with Al Enizi, Holt said.
Holt told the jury they could find the witnesses were inconsistent about Al Enizi crossing two lanes in order to hit Vandenberg.
The trial continues before Acting Justice Peter Applegarth.
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