Judge Admonishes Murder Suspect For Outburst During Witness' Testimony

SANTA ANA (AP) — A murder suspect has been admonished by a California judge for speaking out during the testimony of a witness about a 2007 attack she survived at her home during his trial.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Goethals on Thursday reprimanded Iftekhar Murtaza for an outburst during the testimony of Leela Dhanak and warned he might be removed from the courtroom if it happened again.

Murtaza assured Goethals it would not.

The incident occurred as Dhanak testified in Murtaza's trial on charges of attacking her and killing her husband and elder daughter.

Prosecutor Howard Gundy says Murtaza refuted Dhanak's account while she testified.

Prosecutors say Murtaza attacked the family in an ill-conceived plot to reunite with his ex-girlfriend Shayona Dhanak after she blamed their breakup on family differences.

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