A man who allegedly stabbed his girlfriend’s ex-partner to death may have acted in self-defence, a jury was told.
Nicholas Luke Martin, 30, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Shahn Baker at the start of a trial in the Supreme Court of New South Wales on Monday.
He is alleged to have stabbed Mr Baker in the chest with a double-bladed knife during an argument outside a social housing development in Erina on the Central Coast at around 8.30pm on February 3, 2022.
A drunken Mr. Baker went to Martin’s house in the development to look for his ex-girlfriend Maxie Wilson, the jury was told during the prosecution’s opening statement.
The court heard that Ms Wilson had begun a relationship with Martin several weeks earlier, following the end of a six-year relationship between her and Mr Baker.
The jury was told they might hear evidence that Ms Wilson’s relationship with Mr Baker was “unhealthy or toxic”, including that he once forced her to drink bleach.
Before going to Martin’s house, Mr Baker bought alcohol and was seen as drunk by several witnesses, the jury heard.
Mr Baker told a witness that Ms Wilson was still his girlfriend and that he had purchased an engagement ring with the intention of marrying her.
When he arrived at the house Martin shared with his grandfather, an argument broke out outside between the two men, the jury was told.
Ms Wilson is expected to testify that she saw Martin punch Mr Baker in the jaw.
Mr Baker then fell to the ground while Mr Martin remained with him, the court heard.
After the incident, Martin and Ms Wilson are said to have lied to the police about the incident, telling them that the stabber was an unknown man who fled the scene.
The jury could also consider a verdict of manslaughter if it found that Martin did not intend to kill or seriously injure Mr Baker.
They must also consider the possibility of self-defence, which is a matter for the Crown to refute, the court was told.
The process continues.