Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Mistrial declared in ‘Thunder’ trial

Joey Kadmiri Trial Begins

L.E. Baskow

The trial begins Tuesday, July 8, 2014, for Joey Kadmiri, who was beaten by Thunder From Down Under male-revue dancers at Excalibur after allegedly trying to burglarize their locker room.

Updated Wednesday, July 9, 2014 | 2:17 p.m.

A Clark County judge today declared a mistrial in the case of a man accused of stealing props and costumes from the Thunder From Down Under male revue and then firing off a gun during a fight with a group of strippers in the show.

The decision came after a day and a half of testimony from witnesses who described the "animal strength" Joey Kadmiri displayed during the scuffle and the loot he allegedly fought to keep, which included eight thongs and a fedora used in a skit about a stripping gangster.

Clark County District Court spokeswoman Mary Ann Price said Judge Jerome Tao stopped the trial after jurors admitted to talking about the strength of prosecutors' evidence in the case.

Kadmiri faces more than a dozen charges that include felony attempted murder and armed robbery in the March 18 incident at Excalibur, where Thunder from Down Under performs.

A status check for Kadmiri is scheduled for July 17 before Clark County District Court.

Testimony so far has included members of the Excalibur staff, a security guard who confronted Kadmiri and Thunder dancer Matthew Fardell, who told jurors he recognized a pair of thongs Kadmiri was wearing during the melee as belonging to the Australian performers..

Kadmiri's pants apparently slipped off during the fight, witnesses said.

"The strength of the man was just incredible," Fardell told the jury in a thick Aussie accent. "I thought he must have been on bath salts or something."

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