TWO MEN accused of entering a Bar Beach home armed with knives and injuring a man inside are set to stand trial in the district court.
Eric Douglas Morgan, 33, and Joshua Angelopoulos, 28, pleaded not guilty in Newcastle Local Court to entering the Light Street home while armed and wounding the resident before fleeing into the night.
Magistrate Janine Lacy adjourned both matters to the district court next month, where they will formally enter pleas and be handed a date to face a trial.
"Your matter's now committed for trial to Newcastle District Court," Ms Lacy told Morgan.
Morgan and Angelopoulos each pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated enter dwelling in company with the intent to steal; reckless wounding in company; and a related allegation of stalking or intimidating.
Crown prosecutors dropped one count of specially aggravated enter dwelling with intent to wound against each of the co-accused.
Morgan, a Merewether man, was arrested in the days after police were called to a home on Light Street in Bar Beach late at night in August last year.
Angelopoulos was also charged during the police investigation.
Police allege Morgan and Angelopoulos were wielding knives when they entered the home sometime between 11.05pm and 11.15pm on August 21, 2022, with the intent to steal.
The police case is the pair recklessly wounded the male resident home at the time, causing him actual bodily harm.
They both further stand accused of intimidating the man in an effort to make him fear physical or mental harm.
Morgan and Angelopoulos both remain behind bars and made no application for release in court at the time, and Ms Lacy formally refused them bail.
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