Earlier in the evening, Rodriguez became embroiled in a shouting match with Abreu after she used Rodriguez’s mother’s car without permission.

The verbal dispute was so heated that neighbors in Lynn, Mass., called the police.

But Rodriguez vehemently denied that he physically assaulted Abreu.

He said he began drinking whiskey after the spat with Abreu, adding that he was “feeling mellow” by the time of the row with Pring-Wilson.

While he said he also brought a six-pack of Rolling Rock for Colono, Rodriguez said that Colono had only “cracked a beer” prior to the fight.

SETBACK FOR D.A.

Cambridge criminal defense lawyer Kevin J. Mahoney, who is not affiliated with the case, said yesterday’s testimony revealed the uncertainty surrounding the confrontation of the two parties prior to the stabbing, a potential weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

“The idea that Pring-Wilson went over to the car to pick a fight with these guys is not borne out by the evidence,” said Mahoney, a former Middlesex County prosecutor.

Mahoney said the prosecution’s charge of first-degree murder, and not just manslaughter, was intended to extract a plea bargain.

“In Middlesex County, the usual practice is to charge everyone with first-degree murder—even if it’s manslaughter,” Mahoney said. “They’re trying to intimidate you to accept manslaughter. Pring-Wilson hasn’t been intimidated.”

—Hana R. Alberts contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Daniel J. Hemel can be reached at hemel@fas.harvard.edu.