A jury has begun deliberations at the trial of a NSW man who claims he was defending his female employee when he fatally punched a man during New Year's celebrations.
George Joseph Habkouk, 50, has pleaded not guilty to assault causing the death of Haydn Butcher outside a Central Coast hotel in January 2018 on the basis of self-defence and defence of another.
The defence claimed Habkouk floored Mr Butcher five seconds after the 30-year-old "coat-hangered" a young woman, but the Crown contended the pizza shop owner's response wasn't reasonable in the circumstances.
The NSW District Court jury retired on Wednesday after a one-week trial before Judge Jonathan Priestley.
Australian Associated Press