Joshua Walker Smith, charged with murder over the death of Ewan Sams at Cessnock in 2018, will face a trial in Newcastle Supreme Court next year.
Mr Smith, now 35, appeared in Sydney Supreme Court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to murder and the matter was set down for an estimated four-week trial in February 2022.
Mr Smith is accused of running down Mr Sams with a four-wheel-drive in the backyard of a home in Edith Street, Cessnock about 11pm on September 25, 2018.
Police allege Mr Smith drove a Nissan Patrol 4WD into the backyard and pinned Mr Sams between the car and a shed, causing fatal injuries.
Mr Sams was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
Police established Strike Force Lirki to investigate Mr Sams's death and, after an extensive investigation, arrested Mr Smith in Cessnock in June 2020.
Police say the pair were known to each other.
Mr Smith will be sentenced for drug supply offences in Newcastle District Court in July.
