/ 26 April 2006

Warne may be murder trial witness, court hears

Australian cricketer Shane Warne may be called to give evidence in the trial of a taxi driver charged with the murder of a teenage passenger, the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday.

Rajbinder Singh Shahi (28) is charged with murdering 17-year-old Xavier Salmon by running him down with his taxi after a dispute in December last year.

Defence counsel Paul Duggan told a commital hearing on Wednesday that Warne saw a group of teenagers misbehaving in Shahi’s taxi prior to the incident.

Duggan said he would not require Warne to appear at the preliminary hearing but would likely call him if the matter goes to trial in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Wednesday’s hearing was told the teenagers riding in Shahi’s taxi abused and threw candy at Warne after the cricketer wound down his car window to say hello to them.

”He [Warne] told the defendant to get rid of them, get them out of the cab,” Duggan said.

Shahi did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to August 28. – Sapa-AP