Philadelphia Councilperson David Oh took the stand today to testify against the man accused of stabbing him outside his home, reports CBS Philly.
“You stabbed me, you stabbed me,’ Oh remembers telling his attacker. “And I said to him, ‘In case you didn’t know, you stabbed me.’”
Suspect Shawn Yarbray is accused of plunging a weapon into Oh’s rib cage. Yarbray has denied the claim, saying this is a case of mistaken identity. He is facing charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and robbery.
Yarbray chose Monday not to delay the trial to give his attorneys more time to prepare a defense saying “I just want to get it over with,” reported Philly.com.
Yarbray has been unable to post bail and has spent the last ten months in jail.
He contends that Jarvas Kline Meekins, 24, of Hollywood, Fla., actually stabbed Oh.
According to
Philly Voice, Yarbray turned himself into authorities in June after being accused of stabbing Oh in the side during a robbery attempt outside Oh’s home.
Oh has positively identified Yarbray as his assailant.
CBS Philly reports that when Oh left the hospital, police immediately drove him around the neighborhood looking for his attacker. He identified Yarbray after sorting through some 300 photos.
The defense alleges Oh’s memory is faulty due to the traumatic experience.
The defense emphasized today that Oh’s identification of his attacker has not been corroborated by other witnesses and that the knife in the attack has never been found, according to the Inquirer.
“It’s a classic reasonable-doubt case,” defense attorney Samuel Stretton said.
At the time of his surrender, Yarbray was considered by police as “armed and dangerous”
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