The man that is the alleged victim of a gunshot from Cain Velasquez has now shown off his scars, while claiming he is still fearful for his life.
The former UFC heavyweight champion has been denied bail after being charged with shooting a man now know to be Harry Bender.
It turns out Bender is the stepfather of Harry Goulart Jr, who was the man previously charged with molesting a four-year-old relative of the MMA legend.
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Bender recently spoke via video call at Velasquez’s hearing, describing his continued trauma and urging the judge not to grant the fighter bail.
He said: “He does not care about the rule of law and has no respect for our judicial system. If given the opportunity, I believe he will try to finish what he started.
“I am fearful for my life, as well as for the lives of my family.”
The shooting took place shortly after Goulart was released on bail for ‘lewd acts’ with the four-year-old.
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It is alleged that Velasquez then chased him down in a vehicle before hitting his intended target with a gunshot.
Bender’s lawyer, Patrick Steinfeld showed off a photo of a hefty scar on the victim’s arm as a result of the injury.
Bender claims to have lost use of three of his fingers too, making him no longer able to work.
“We were simply following a court order to get a GPS monitoring device for Harry when Cain Velasquez started following us,” Bender told the court, according to MMA Junkie.
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“He shot at us and chased us at speeds over a hundred miles an hour. When we came to a stop near a school, Cain Velasquez shot at us again, severing my brachial artery and nerve.
“I have lost the use of three fingers and can no longer work because I could not pass my [Department of Transportation] physical. Without the use of my right hand, we do not know if this loss is permanent.”
Bender also told the court that he believes the former MMA champion has ‘no respect for human life’ claiming he could have easily shot the family in the car next to them or even pedestrians.
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According to Bender’s lawyer, he is currently dealing with psychological trauma as a result of the incident.
The judge subsequently refused Velasquez's bail claiming he was still a danger to the alleged victims, with his detention extended until June 10.
Velasquez’s lead defence attorney, Mark Geragos noted to MMA Junkie that he was disappointed in the decision, and believed there was extreme irony in calling Harry Goularte Jr’s family the victims.
Topics: Cain Velasquez, UFC, Australia, MMA
Jayden Collins