PARANOID about speaking aloud about the murder of Danielle Easey and with his mental health and physical appearance in decline, Justin Dilosa began scribbling notes to his friends about the killing of the 29-year-old mother.
It was August 27, 2019, about 10 days after Ms Easey had been stabbed and struck in the head at a home at Narara and four days before her body would be discovered in Cockle Creek, and Mr Dilosa, according to one of his former friends, was "withdrawn" and had stopped taking care of himself.
"You could see his mental state was in decline," Bronte Daly told Mr Dilosa's murder trial in NSW Supreme Court. "He was paranoid about speaking. "He wrote: "they found the body, you're on CCTV the night you came here so if and when the police come to speak to you, you can't deny it".
But there is one thing Ms Daly claims Mr Dilosa did say out loud.
"I love you guys," Ms Daly claims Mr Dilosa told her and her partner Jacob Collins. "I want you to hear it from me before you hear it from anyone else. "That chick, she is no good. I did it and I'd do it again."
When asked by Crown prosecutor John Stanhope if Mr Dilosa gave an explanation as to why Ms Easey was killed, Ms Daly replied: "That she, Danielle, knew a lot about a lot of people and could bring a lot of people undone. She was going to hurt people that he loved, his friends".
Mr Dilosa, now 37, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Easey and is facing an estimated six-week trial in NSW Supreme Court.
He denies being involved in Ms Easey's killing, but admits to participating in the cover-up and dumping of Ms Easey's body and has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact.
The jury has been told there is no dispute that Carol McHenry, Mr Dilosa's ex-partner, "had a part to play in the killing of Danielle Easey".
But it is the prosecution case that both Ms McHenry and Mr Dilosa were "directly involved" in Ms Easey's death and Mr Dilosa stabbed Ms Easey in the home at Narara on August 17, 2019.
Ms Easey's body was later found wrapped in plastic and duct tape in Cockle Creek at Killingworth on August 31.
Ms Daly gave evidence on Wednesday afternoon about her memory of a much discussed bonfire night at Jeremy Princehorn's house at Cardiff on the night of the murder, claiming Mr Dilosa mentioned something about a "house, and a bed... a body and blood... and it needing to be disposed of".
And she spoke about later witnessing a "full blown argument" between Mr Dilosa and Ms McHenry, during which she claims Ms McHenry told Mr Dilosa: "I will let them know it was all you and you will get 20 years".
Ms Daly said in the days after Ms Easey's death, she noticed that Mr Dilosa's Mitsubishi Delica van "smelt", but said she didn't mention it to him.
As well as Ms Daly, another of Mr Dilosa's former friends, Jacob Collins, gave evidence on Thursday, saying he heard a similar comment from Mr Dilosa about Ms Easey being "no good" and how he "had to kill her".
The trial is focusing on the evidence of several former associates of Ms McHenry and Mr Dilosa, who Mr Stanhope said were involved in using methamphetamine, and who say the pair made a number of admissions about murdering Ms Easey.
And Mr Collins claims later Mr Dilosa told him what happened to Ms Easey at the house at Narara.
"We were over there [at Mr Dilosa's house] and Justin came out and said something about they were at Carol's house and they were just chilling and the drugs ran out and she lost her shit or something and he stabbed her in the head and then the back," Mr Collins said.
Mr Collins also gave evidence about seeing Mr Dilosa destroying a pig hunting knife in a bonfire in a backyard at Cardiff and later saying "that he loved that knife and was going to miss it".
He also told the jury that Mr Dilosa's van stunk and he later smelt the same odour coming from Mr Dilosa.
The trial, before Justice Deborah Sweeney, continues.
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