A man has been committed to trial for the alleged 2021 murder of a young football player in North Queensland.
Birdsall Fa'apepele, 25, was found stabbed to death in a vacant block of land beside the Bruce Highway and next to a caravan park in Mackay on December 14, 2021.
The accused, Steven Dean Walker-Ely, resided at "The Park" at the time and allegedly stabbed Mr Fa'apepele multiple times.
Before a courtroom packed with Mr Fa'apepele's family, Mr Walker-Ely sat expressionless and composed with his hands in his lap.
Some of Mr Fa'apepele's family, including his mother, travelled from New Zealand to be present in Mackay Magistrates Court.
Sounds of screaming
The court heard from nine witnesses who were cross-examined by Mr Walker-Ely's barrister Saul Holt.
The witnesses included two drivers who told the court they had to swerve to avoid hitting a naked, darker-skinned man who was being followed by another man across the Bruce Highway.
Mr Holt asked one of Mr Walker-Ely's neighbours, Shonnah Conlon, about the statement she had given after Mr Fa'apepele was killed.
He referred to Ms Conlon's reference to a conversation she said she had heard between a "young" and an "older" voice.
She said she heard the younger voice swear and yell, "You don't know what you're talking about … I'm gonna get you one day".
Ms Conlon said the other voice replied, "You should have listened to me".
Another neighbour, Julie Williamson, was asked about being woken up to the sound of someone being chased and jumping the caravan park fence.
A third neighbour, Yan Riskov said he was woken by the sound of screaming at about 3am.
Two of the witnesses who resided in the caravan park at the time described how sound echoed in the area.
Friends take stand
Mr Fa'apepele's friends Dan Moevao and Caleb Hamiora were also called to the witness stand.
The court heard that they were with Mr Fa'apepele at a farewell dinner on the night he was allegedly murdered.
Mr Hamoira had been residing at the caravan park at the time and told the court Mr Fa'apepele had texted him asking to stay the night because he was having "relationship difficulties".
Mr Holt asked if they took drugs together.
Mr Hamoira told the court emphatically that they did not, but Mr Holt pulled up a text conversation between the pair from a few months earlier.
This included a text from Fa'apepele saying, "Cause I sell bags", to which Mr Ham replied, "Nah cause you always on them as well".
Mr Hamoira told the court they were joking around.
During Mr Moevao's cross-examination via videolink, Mr Holt questioned him about a statement he made to police in which he said he had been worried about Mr Fa'apepele drinking too much and getting into trouble for doing "silly things".
Mr Holt asked Mr Moevao a number of times to clarify what "silly things" he was referring to.
During both cross-examinations Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan expressed frustrations at the lack of clear responses to Mr Holt's questions.
The trial date for Mr Walker-Ely is yet to be decided.
He remains on bail with strict conditions to reside in New South Wales.
