Night of abuse in Chinatown detailed

As a trial opens, a victim describes a night of drinking and drugs that turned ugly

Afraid of getting kicked out of his Chinatown apartment, James Swann threatened to call security on a couple arguing at his apartment, drinking and doing drugs.

As he picked up the phone, "That's when all hell broke loose," Swann testified yesterday in Circuit Court.

Swann was one of several people terrorized and allegedly held against their will by William Alston during a 14-hour ordeal in May 2005 that ended when Alston's estranged wife managed to leave and call police.

Alston went on trial yesterday in Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario's courtroom, charged with second-degree attempted murder, kidnapping, first-degree terroristic threatening, sexual assault and abuse of a household member. He is accused of terrorizing his estranged wife, Swann and two others at Swann's Hale Pauahi apartment. He is also accused of stabbing and setting Swann afire and forcing another woman to perform sex acts on him.

Swann said he did not even get a chance to dial security before Alston attacked him. "All I see is two knives flashing coming at me -- the rest is a blur."

He managed to grab a nearby fan and wielded it like a shield but still suffered defensive wounds on his hand, arms and body.

Swann also remembers isopropyl alcohol being poured over him and being set afire. "I was trying to put myself out -- I tried to roll around on the floor to get the fire off me."

He suffered numerous burns on his lower face and lip, chest and shoulders. He was then taken to his bedroom and bound with electrical cord and had a sock stuffed into his mouth. While Swann admitted drinking and smoking crack cocaine before going to bed early that morning, he denied provoking the attack.

Defense attorney Nelson Goo said the events in Swann's apartment that night and the next morning resembled Grand Central Station, with people going in and out, drinking and smoking cocaine.

"This is the backdrop happening in the apartment, with all kinds of people drinking and using drugs like there was no tomorrow," Goo said.

The fight between Swann and Alston escalated when Swann grabbed the fan and said some things he did not mean, Goo said. Alston retaliated, threatening to kill him.

Alston was upset and poured the rubbing alcohol onto Swann and lit it, but later offered to take Swann to the hospital. "There was no intent to kill," Goo said.