A woman with an alleged tendency to violently assault elderly men is accused of murdering a retired Sydney solicitor with a frying pan on her birthday.
Peter McCarthy, 77, was found bludgeoned to death on the floor of his South Coogee flat on December 20, 2020, a NSW Supreme Court jury has been told.
His body was found in the lounge room, partially covered in a blue tarp and a blood-stained jumper, surrounded by broken furniture, broken wine glasses and various objects out of place.
A bent frying pan, with its handle broken off, was found next to the body, crown prosecutor Katharine Jeffreys said.
"The Crown case is the head injuries were inflicted with an object or objects including this frying pan," Ms Jeffreys said in her opening address on Monday.
The Crown alleges Mr McCarthy was killed in the hours after he left a neighbour's flat in the company of Narelle Fiona Smith early on the afternoon of December 17.
The 47-year-old has always "categorically and vehemently" denied murdering her friend, pointing the finger at another female friend of Mr McCarthy's who had a key to his flat, the jury has been told.
However, the Crown is expected to present evidence it said showed Smith had a tendency "to violently assault elderly male victims".
Smith was convicted of assaulting a 75-year-old man with his walking stick in February 2018.
The man was struck in the face and head, causing a nasal fracture, the jury was told.
"His Honour will make directions in due course about what you can make of the evidence," Ms Jeffreys said.
DNA evidence and fingerprints matching Mr McCarthy and Smith's profiles had been on objects throughout the unit, including the blue tarp.
Smith, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, told police the pair met up and drank together after the elderly man had wished her a happy 46th birthday by text message.
In his flat, she helped Mr McCarthy with chores, cooked a potato bake for dinner and listened to him detail minor dramas with local women, before she left about 8pm, she said.
Smith told police her blood might be found in the unit as she cut herself with a screwdriver while fixing Mr McCarthy's deadlock.
"She has put her hand up when it comes to wrongdoings, including one serious wrongdoing," barrister Sharyn Hall SC said.
"But there is one serious wrongdoing she denies - that is having a hand in the death of Mr McCarthy."
Ms Hall urged jurors to critique the movement of another woman close to Mr McCarthy who had a key to his flat.
The trial is expected to run for four weeks.
