A man already found guilty and sentenced for manslaughter for his role in the fatal beating of a taxi driver recanted his earlier confessions during the trial Friday of his co-defendant and childhood friend.
Kilani Derego, 19, is on trial in state court for second-degree murder for the May 1, 2010, beating death of driver Charlys Ty Tang.
Michael Robles is serving a 20-year prison term for manslaughter. However, Robles, 20, has yet to appear before the Hawaii Paroling Authority to find out how much of his term he must spend behind bars before he is eligible for parole because he is asking Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario to reconsider the 20-year term he handed down in October.
Prosecutor Scott Bell called Robles as a witness against Derego, expecting Robles to repeat what he told police after he was arrested in 2010 and what he said in his own trial last year: that he and Derego beat Tang after riding in Tang’s cab to Waipahu from Waikiki.
But before Bell could question Robles about the events of May 1, 2010, Robles said, "With all due respect to the court and to the jury and the judge, all I can say (is) that everything that I said in that (police) statement and everything that I said in my trial were all a bunch of lies."
Robles said he understood he can be charged with perjury, apologized for wasting the court’s time and said he will invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination by refusing to answer any questions.
Del Rosario excused the jury. After meeting with Bell, Derego’s lawyer Jeffrey Hawk and Robles’ lawyer William Jameson, the judge said Robles has no constitutional right to remain silent because he has already been found guilty and sentenced. He then recalled the jury and sent them home for the day but told them to return for trial Tuesday.
Robles’ actions Friday clearly shocked his own lawyer and the prosecutor, who had interviewed him at Halawa Correctional Facility just last week in preparation for his testimony Friday.
Derego and Robles grew up together in the Hilo area. They lived together in a Hale Kipa therapeutic group home in Manoa for at-risk youth at the time of Tang’s death, according to testimony in Robles’ trial.
Honolulu police officials escorted Robles into the courtroom Friday afternoon during a break in the trial. When state sheriff deputies escorted Derego into the courtroom, Robles bowed his head rather than look at Derego. In contrast, Derego fixed his eyes on Robles as soon as he entered the courtroom.
Only after Robles recanted his earlier confessions and declared his intention not to answer any questions did he look at Derego.
Derego claims he was at a party with his girlfriend at Schofield Barracks when Tang was fatally beaten.
