Jury finds Raymond Allen guilty of stabbing murder of David McArthur

The 12 person jury was sent to deliberate on Wednesday morning and returned a unanimous verdict by the afternoon: guilty.

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The trial began last Monday, September 25, when Allen, 41, confirmed his not guilty pleas to one count of murder.

The question the jury had to consider was not whether or not Allen had stabbed David McArthur, 48, at the Sanctuary Point caravan park, but whether he had done it in self defence.

The Crown argued that Allen planned to lure Mr McArthur outside of his cabin to rob him, but after mistakenly turning off the power to the wrong cabin went inside where the stabbing occurred.

Allen's plan stemmed from a drug debt dispute, with Allen telling an accomplice before the incident that occurred on July 25, 2021 that he needed "the coin badly lol".

Allen and another man arrived at the caravan park at just before 8pm where he put a knife down his pants before walking to Mr McArthur's cabin.

Then the botched power cutting occurred, before Allen and the other men fled back to the car without drugs or money.

Allen told the man "Sorry man, I f---ed it" on the way out.

Read more: Sanctuary Point murder trial

Paramedics arrived about 8.20pm however couldn't resuscitate Mr McArthur. He was pronounced dead and a crime scene was established.

During the week-long trial, the jury heard from counsel for the Crown and Defence, witnesses including residents of the caravan park, the park manager and Allen himself as well as being shown CCTV from the caravan park.

Allen said he acted on instinct, blaming his "reflexes" for his stabbing instead of carrying out his intended goal of robbing Mr McArthur for "drugs or money".

A date for sentence has yet to be set.

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