A MAN who along with his friends ripped off a drug dealer at Cessnock, triggering a wild car chase, was allegedly later stabbed to death on the Central Coast by a man sent to retrieve the stolen methamphetamine.
Russel Rajapakse, of Gorokan, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to murdering 26-year-old Corey Breceljnik outside a house at Watanobbi, near Wyong, on October 25, 2020, and faced the first day of a trial in Newcastle Supreme Court.
Rajapakse has also pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault with intent to rob and the three-week trial will focus on whether it was Rajapakse who inflicted the fatal stab wound to Mr Breceljnik's left armpit during a struggle over the stolen drugs.
During his opening address, Crown prosecutor Carl Young said a group of four friends, including Mr Breceljnik, had arranged to buy drugs from a dealer at Cessnock on the afternoon of October 25.
But Mr Young said the group made a decision early on that they were going to pull of a drug rip and take the methamphetamine without paying.
They drove from the Central Coast to Cessnock, arriving about 8.40pm before stealing the drugs and taking off, the dealers giving chase in their own car as the group headed back towards the coast.
Mr Young said the jury would hear evidence that a vehicle was rammed during the chase and some of the occupants were armed with weapons.
The group made it back to a house in Slim Close, Watanobbi, but about 10 minutes later two men knocked on their door.
The men, who the prosecution say were Rajapakse and his friend Anthony Lawlor, had been called by the drug dealer in Cessnock in a bid to recover their stolen ice, Mr Young said.
According to one witness, Rajapakse said "you've ripped off the wrong people" and he told the group to lay the drugs out on the bed.
Mr Young said Mr Breceljnik refused to hand over any drugs and was accused by the men of hiding the methamphetamine.
The witness claims Mr Breceljnik was told to come outside before she heard a lot of commotion and when he came back inside he was bleeding.
Mr Young said another witness inside the house will give evidence that Rajapakse "kind of turned aggressive" and "dragged" Mr Breceljnik outside.
Another witness outside the house will give evidence that he thought he saw Rajapakse start punching Mr Breceljnik before the witness realised Rajapakse had a knife and was stabbing Mr Breceljnik, Mr Young said.
Later that night, the witness claims he was at a motel with Rajapakse when a helicopter hovered overhead and Rajapakse allegedly laughed and said: "Hear that, I must have got the c--- good".
Mr Breceljnik was rushed to hospital but died the next day. Hospital staff later told police they found two grams of methamphetamine stashed in a bag in his underpants.
Mr Young said the drugs stolen from Cessnock that Rajapakse was tasked with recovering were not given back to the dealers but were instead allegedly split up between Rajapakse and two other men.
During her opening address, defence barrister Nicole Carroll said there was no dispute Rajapakse went to the house at Watanobbi to retrieve the stolen drugs and no dispute there was a fight outside the home.
But she said at no time did Rajapakse attempt to rob or kill anyone.
The trial, before Justice Nicholas Chen, SC, continues.
