Petah Tikva man indicted for murder during brawl at wedding

Key testimony comes from waitress, who told police suspect ran into kitchen, grabbed a 30-cm knife off the wall.

By BEN HARTMAN
Aviv Ben-Bassat (photo credit: Channel 2)
Aviv Ben-Bassat
(photo credit: Channel 2)
Aviv Ben-Basset, 21, from Petah Tikva, was indicted by the city’s district court in Sunday for the alleged stabbing murder of the owner of the Ganei del Vino banquet hall at a wedding there last month.
The victim, Ro’i Bring, a father of two from the city, was killed when he tried to break up a fight that started after a celebrant accidentally stepped on the shoe of a friend of Ben-Basset’s on the dance floor.
Ben-Basset was arrested along with three other suspects on January 29, a week after the killing.
One of the key testimonies against Ben-Basset came from a waitress at the wedding hall, who told police that while the fight was going on outside, she saw Ben-Basset run into the kitchen and grab a 30-centimeter knife off the wall. He then allegedly turned to her and made a hand signal telling her to be quiet, before he ran to the parking lot.
According to the indictment, when Ben-Basset arrived outside he sawBring tangling with some of his friends, and he charged the weddinghall owner and stabbed him twice in the stomach, severing a majorartery. Bring was rushed to the hospital and died shortly thereafter ofblood loss.
The indictment says Ben-Basset “was a full participant in the brawl”that led to the murder and that the fact that he ran into the kitchento grab a knife invalidates his contention that the stabbing was inself-defense.