Key eyewitness to fatal stabbing denies claims Chris Ward armed himself

Ian Conway has pleaded not guilty to murdering Christopher Ward at Broadmeadow last year and claims he was acting in self-defence.

THE key eyewitness to the fatal stabbing of Christopher Ward at a unit in Broadmeadow last year has denied suggestions Mr Ward had said "do you want to have a go" and armed himself with a knife before he was stabbed.

Ian Conway, now 47, does not deny stabbing Mr Ward, 56, in his unit in Broadmeadow Road on March 7 last year, but he has pleaded not guilty to murder and claims he was acting in self-defence after Mr Ward picked up a knife and walked towards him.

Whether Mr Ward had calmed down, after earlier behaving "erratically", and was sitting on a couch when he was stabbed or whether he was standing up, armed with a knife and advancing towards Mr Conway is the crucial issue in Mr Conway's two-week trial in Newcastle Supreme Court.

The critical witness in the trial gave evidence for a second day on Thursday, denying suggestions under cross-examination from defence barrister Dennis Stewart that she had not witnessed the fatal confrontation between Mr Ward and Mr Conway.

The witness had given evidence on Wednesday that Mr Ward had become "erratic" after injecting himself with something; barking like a dog and being rude to her and Mr Conway's wife, Katrina Coghlan.

But before he was stabbed, Mr Ward had sat on the couch and become "quite quiet", the witness said.

Christopher Ward died after he was stabbed once in the stomach at a unit in Broadmeadow last year. Ian Conway is on trial accused of murder.

Mr Conway, the witness gave evidence, brought out two knives, put one on the couch near Mr Ward and said "let's have a muck around."

The witness said Mr Ward said he didn't want to and after some back and forth Mr Conway reached across the coffee table and lunged at Mr Ward with the knife, stabbing him once in the stomach.

"Ian was mucking around and just lunged at him with the knife," the witness said on Wednesday. "There was no blood or anything. I didn't think anything of it to be honest."

The witness said Mr Conway "panicked" when he saw Mr Ward's wound and claims Mr Conway said Mr Ward was going to "dog" and he should "slit his throat".

Mr Stewart suggested to the witness that the fatal confrontation had not occurred near the couch and instead Mr Ward and Mr Conway had been standing up and arguing when Mr Ward said "do you want to have a go?"

He suggested that Mr Ward had then walked over to a coffee table, grabbed a knife and walked towards Mr Conway. The witness disagreed and said she did not recall that happening.

The witness said she moved her car closer to the unit at one point and claimed that was because Mr Conway had suggested they "dump" the injured Mr Ward somewhere.

The trial continues.