Beating death of
hotel worker was self-defense,
defendant says

Victim 'lured' his drinking partner
to his place for sex, a lawyer says

By Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

Stephen Bright attacked a homosexual man because of sexual advances, killing him in self-defense, his defense attorney says.

Former hotel executive Kenneth Brewer lured Bright to his Hawaii Kai condominium on Oct. 1, taking advantage of Bright's "weakness for alcohol" to seduce him, said deputy public defender Jack Tonaki.

Bright's murder trial opened yesterday with Tonaki telling jurors that his client beat Brewer, 58, in self-defense.

Tonaki said outside the courtroom that Bright, 29, was a heterosexual and that force can be used to protect oneself against sexual assault.

But Deputy Prosecutor Wayne Tashima said outside the courtroom that the beating was severe and the victim suffered serious brain injury, which caused his death. "The reasons are unclear at this point why he (Bright) did it. There is a question as to whether or not the force used to defend himself was considered legal or justified," Tashima said.

The defendant will testify at his trial in Circuit Judge John Lim's courtroom.

Bright was in Hula's Bar, a Waikiki gay bay, because he was broke and he hoped the bartender he knew there would give him free drinks, Tonaki said.

Brewer entered the bar and started buying the defendant drinks. But Brewer must have sensed Bright was a heterosexual, Tonaki said, and talked about the two of them "picking up girls. . . . Kenneth Brewer basically used my client's weakness for alcohol to lure him to his apartment."

The two men went to Brewer's condo and drank more. Brewer left the room and came back naked, saying he wanted sex, Tonaki said.

"My client told him no and tried to resist, but he kept coming." Bright started punching Brewer in self-defense, Tonaki said.

According to Tashima, the Hula's bartender said the two men entered the bar together and appeared to know each other. They had a couple of drinks and left about a half-hour later.

Brewer's condominium mate, who was asleep when the two men were there, discovered Brewer's body the next morning. The defendant turned himself over to police that same day after hearing about the death on the news.

Testing showed the blood found on the inside of Bright's pants belonged to Brewer.