BLEEDING profusely from a large gash to his arm after he was savagely stabbed, slashed and beaten during a chaotic home invasion, small-time Whitebridge drug dealer Philip Steele said "all this for $2000".
"Save my arm at least," Mr Steele told one of his brothers, who had found him covered in blood and lying on the floor in their Lonus Avenue home about 2.30am on December 17, 2018.
But Mr Steele, 60, who was known to supply cannabis and keep cash on the premises, and who had allegedly been targeted by two of his three attackers 12 hours earlier, died in an ambulance on the way to John Hunter Hospital.
Luke Jones, one of the three men accused of the violent home invasion murder and the alleged getaway driver who led police on a pursuit away from the scene, will face a murder trial in Newcastle Supreme Court.
Jones, 24, of Gateshead, who is represented by solicitor Mark Ramsland, is the first of the three to be committed for trial for murder after the DPP rejected his plea offer to manslaughter.
The other two men, Jeremy Garvey, 25, of Glendale, and Daniel Mahoney, 20, of Charlestown, also appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday. They have not entered pleas and both matters were adjourned to February 5.
Detectives allege that Mr Jones and Mr Garvey went to Mr Steele's house at 2.25pm on December 16 - 12 hours before the alleged home invasion.
The pair are accused of impersonating police officers and snatching Mr Steele's wallet when they asked him for identification.
They allegedly returned to the house in Lonus Avenue at 2.25am on December 17 and broke in through an open and unlocked window.
Mr Garvey was allegedly armed with a machete while Mr Jones and Mr Mahoney had a baseball bat.
One of Mr Steele's brothers saw them coming through the window and ran through the house yelling, prompting Mr Steele to jump out of bed and confront the trio.
Mr Steele grabbed hold of Mr Garvey by the neck and tried to force him out of the home, but Mr Garvey allegedly stabbed and slashed Mr Steele with the machete. Mr Jones and Mr Mahoney are accused of using the baseball bat and their fists to beat Mr Steele in an attempt to get him to let go of Mr Garvey.
As well as being charged with murder over the death of Mr Steele, Mr Garvey is accused of manslaughter over the death of a 32-year-old pregnant woman who died after a crash at Charlestown on September 21.
In relation to the fatal crash, Mr Garvey will face a trial in Newcastle District Court and is expected to be arraigned and plead not guilty when he next appears on February 6.
