'It was one of the loudest bangs I heard in my life'

Al Leeman, a Bang N Jane sound tech and longtime friend of drummer Jim Unfonak, testifies Wednesday during Eric Langlais' manslaughter trial at Strafford County Superior Court. (Rochester Voice photos)

DOVER - As Jim Unfonak fell to the ground after being punched in the head with a Barnstead man's "knockout hand," the longtime Bang N Jane drummer was already out, the state's first witness in the Eric Langlais manslaughter trial testified on Wednesday.

And when his skull hit the frozen ice and snow in the parking lot of Gary's Sports Bar around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2016, longtime Unfonak friend and Bang N Jane sound technician Al Leeman said, "It was one of the loudest bangs I heard in my life."

"How did you feel?" asked Assistant County Attorney Tim Sullivan.

Att. Richard Samdperil talks to Eric Langlais, who was out of jail garb and dressed in tie and shirt for his manslaughter trial on Wednesday at Strafford County Superior Court.

"Not much, I just saw one of my brothers killed," he said.

Strafford County Superior Court Judge Mark E. Howard quickly interjected that it was up to the jury to decide Unfonak's manner of death, not a single witness, but the exchange made clear that at the heart of this trial is what was in Langlais' heart as he delivered that blow square to the jaw of Unfonak.

In opening arguments Sullivan sought to establish Langlais, 42, as a man looking "to get a piece of Jimmy" after Unfonak had made "oinking" sounds while getting into it verbally with Laurie Henner of Farmington at Gary's that night.

Thus began a long series of verbal jousting between Unfonak and Langlais, who was at the popular sports lounge with Henner, her sister, Mandy Patch of Rochester and Forrest Rollins of Rochester.

Assistant County Attorney Tim Sullivan addresses jurors Wednesday afternoon as he shows them surveillance video taken inside Gary's Sports Bar the night of Jim Unfonak's death.

By 12:47 a.m. the verbal attacks had turned to fisticuffs with Henner's husband shoving Unfonak twice, Sullivan said. Two minutes later the bouncer told Henner, Patch, Unfonak and Rollins to all leave the bar, but they remained outside waiting for Unfonak to come out.

Twice, around 1:16 a.m. and 1:19 a.m. someone returns to the bar door yelling, "We want Jimmy, we want a piece of Jimmy," Sullivan said.

When Unfonak's girlfriend, Kelsey Mountain, finally arrived around 1:30 a.m. to take him home, the bouncer urged him not to go outside, but Unfonak wanted to go, so the bouncer and Leeman provided security to the waiting car.

But as Unfonak went to get inside at the left rear door, "He (Langlais) came out from behind a car and went at him," Leeman testified.

Surveillance image of Gary's parking lot the night of Jim Unfonak's death as shown during the opening day of Eric Langlais' manslaughter trial on Wednesday.

Leeman said Unfonak threw no punches and did little to protect himself.

It was noted, however, that the handle of a toilet bowl scrubber removed from a Gary's restroom was stuffed in one of Unfonak's pant legs.

After the single punch bystanders pulled Langlais away. Soon after police and rescue personnel arrived and the much beloved Bang N Jane drummer was rushed to Maine Medical Center where hours later he was declared dead and taken off life support the following day.

In opening arguments for the defense, Att. Richard Samdperil told jurors that nobody expected anyone to die that night.

"Nobody wanted Jimmy to die, and nobody expected it," Samdperil said. "That is what really makes this case a tragedy."

Earlier this month Howard ruled that the prosecution could reference Langlais' comments to police that he had hit Unfonak with his "knockout hand." The defense had fought against it.

If Langlais is found guilty of manslaughter, he could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison.

The trial continues today at Strafford County Superior Court.