A jury has been told that a social media message sent to the wrong person triggered a feud that resulted in the alleged murder of a north-west Tasmanian man.
Opening statements have been heard in the Supreme Court in Launceston in the trial of five people accused of murdering a man in Burnie two and a half years ago.
Burnie man Bobby William Medcraft, 23, died after an altercation in the early hours of March 29, 2020.
Cody Sheehan, Lucas Ford, Michael Hanlon, Geoffrey Deverell and Kelsey Ford have all pleaded not guilty to murder.
In opening submissions, Prosecutor Jack Shapiro told the court Mr Medcraft was repeatedly kicked and punched before he was chopped in the back of his leg with a sword.
He died from blood loss.
Mr Shapiro alleged Mr Sheehan was the one who wielded the sword, but all of the accused were present at the scene and all were criminally responsible.
The jury was told the attack happened after a series of threatening messages and phone calls between two groups of people.
It was triggered by a Snapchat text message that was mistakenly sent to Mr Ford.
The jury heard that the initial Snapchat message was sent by a friend of Mr Medcraft's to Lucas Ford that said "What up c***".
The abuse then triggered a confrontation in Thorn Street in Burnie that resulted in the two groups being separated by police.
After a chase through Burnie streets, it is alleged the accused then tracked Mr Medcraft down to an address in Ritchie Avenue which was the home of Mr Medcraft's friend.
Mr Shapiro said all five of the accused agreed that significant violence would be used.
Alleged weapon could 'result in death'
The court heard Mr Medcraft was repeatedly kicked and punched.
"While on the ground he was chopped with a sword," Mr Shapiro said, "obviously an incredibly dangerous weapon."
"It cut through his pants, his skin, his flesh, through his hamstring, cut through a major nerve in his leg, severed both major arteries and cartilage in the back of the knee.
"That weapon with that blade would cause an injury likely to result in death."
The jury was shown the sword.
Mr Shapiro said the accused used "an act of violence motivated by revenge."
"He (Sheehan) ought to have known that death was likely."
"Murder is a probable consequence."
The lawyer representing Cody Sheehan, Greg Richardson, told jurors they had to consider self-defence as an issue.
He said the demeanour and behaviour of Mr Medcraft and his friends created a hostile atmosphere, and that they had also armed themselves with weapons.
"We can never understand that sense of threat," Mr Richardson said.
He said that Mr Sheehan could not have known that death was likely.
The lawyer representing Mr Deverell, Patrick O'Halloran, said his client was not responsible for Mr Medcraft's death.
Michael Hanlon's lawyer Paul Sullivan told the court his client was acting in self-defence, while the lawyer representing Lucas Ford, Kirsten Abercrombie, said the issue of self -defence was relevant.
Fran McCracken, Kelsey Ford's lawyer, also said her client was not responsible for Mr Medcraft's death.
