A witness has told a jury he warned an accused murderer to not 'staunch' a Sanctuary Point veteran turned drug dealer before he stabbed him at his cabin.
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Raymond Allen, 41, is facing trial in the NSW Supreme Court, sitting in Wollongong, for the alleged murder of veteran David McArthur at Palm Beach Caravan Park, Sanctuary Point on July 25 2021.
Allen has not denied that he stabbed Mr McArthur on the evening in question but his barrister Gabriel Wendler said he acted in self-defence.
The witness, from Nowra, took to the stand on the fourth day of the trial and told the jury he met Mr McArthur a few months before his death, and that he had bought drugs off him at his cabin.
The man said he warned Allen before he went to rob him of drugs and money.
"I knew this guy (Mr McArthur) had been in the army and I'm like, 'why are you going to staunch this bloke? This is not a smart play," the witness said, adding he saw Allen holding a knife.
Allen allegedly replied "it's good that I know that, I'll just stick this all the way through him."
The witness waited in the car while Allen and the other man went to Mr McArthur's cabin.
He said he saw Allen come back twirling his shirt above his head before Allen and the other man began apologising to one another as they drove back to Nowra.
The witness said Allen pointed out blood covering the length of the knife's blade. "He didn't seem fazed by it," he said.
He heard "on the grapevine" Mr McArthur had died and later gave police his account of the events in November 2021.
"I'd been wanting to tell them for a while, I just didn't have the guts," he said.
Mr Wendler confirmed with the witness that he had "engaged in acts of dishonesty regularly over the last 20 years".
"I was a drug addict ... I'm not lying now," the witness said.
The jury was told on Wednesday that Mr McArthur sold about six to seven ounces of meth every two days, with people coming and going from his cabin frequently.
The prosecution closed its case on Thursday with Allen expected to take to the stand on Friday.
- with AAP.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
