‘Do you want to kill me?’ The chilling words of a humble cabinet maker before he was allegedly stabbed to death over an unpaid $8,400 renovation bill
- 61-year-old Bunyamin Oksuz was allegedly stabbed by Samir Mayhouh in 2019
- Mr Oksuz had been chasing up a payment for his cabinet work for months
- He died after a ‘fight broke out’ in front of the accused killer’s horrified family
A man is accused of the stabbing murder of a cabinet maker over an unpaid renovation bill and accusations of shoddy work.
Samir Mayhouh allegedly stabbed 61-year-old Bunyamin Oksuz in the chest when the cabinet maker arrived at his customer’s home in Melbourne’s north to recoup the $8400.
‘Why don’t you want to pay?,’ Mr Oksuz said, prosecutor Melissa Mahady told Victoria’s Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Samir Mayhoub (pictured) and Mr Oksuz allegedly had a fight over an unpaid renovation bill
‘Do you want to kill me?’
The cabinet maker of 30 years had badgered Mayhoub for months after receiving partial payment for the kitchen and laundry work, Ms Mahady said.
Mr Oksuz brought a friend to Mayhoub’s home in May 2019 and a fight broke out in front of the accused killer’s horrified family.
It’s not disputed Mayhoub thought the work was shoddy and grabbed a knife.
This was solely to protect himself and his family, his barrister Ruth Shann said.
Mr Oksuz’s wife (centre) leaving court in 2019 following the news that Mr Mayhoub was granted bail
The altercation was captured on Mayhoub’s home CCTV before Mr Oksuz collapsed and died on the street.
‘I don’t know how the knife got there. I wasn’t trying to murder him or anything, it just happened,’ the court was told Mayhoub said to police.
‘I only protect my family, that’s all.’
The 56-year-old’s trial for murder, and an alternative charge of manslaughter, is due to continue on Thursday.