Ian Conway found guilty of murdering Christopher Ward at Broadmeadow

Ian Conway was on Friday found guilty of murdering Christopher Ward at Broadmeadow last year, the jury rejecting his claims that he was acting in self-defence.

IAN Conway has been found guilty of murdering Christopher Ward, a jury rejecting his claims that he was acting in self-defence when he stabbed the 56-year-old at a unit at Broadmeadow last year.

Conway, now 47, did not deny stabbing Mr Ward in his unit in Broadmeadow Road on March 7 last year, but he pleaded not guilty to murder and claimed he was acting in self-defence after Mr Ward picked up a knife and walked towards him.

The crucial issue in Conway's trial was whether Mr Ward had calmed down, after earlier behaving "erratically", and was sitting on a couch when he was stabbed or whether he was standing up, armed with a knife and advancing towards Conway.

The key eyewitness gave evidence last week that Conway brought out two knives, put one on the chair next to Mr Ward and said "let's have a muck around."

The witness claimed Mr Ward said he didn't want to and after some back and forth Conway reached across the coffee table and lunged at Mr Ward with the knife, stabbing him once in the stomach.

"Ian was mucking around and just lunged at him with the knife," the witness said. "There was no blood or anything. I didn't think anything of it to be honest."

The witness said Conway "panicked" when he saw Mr Ward's wound and claimed he said Mr Ward was going to "dog" and he should "slit his throat".

Conway gave evidence on Monday, telling the jury a different story.

He said Mr Ward had become angry about his missing methamphetamine and picked up a knife and came towards him in the moments before the fatal confrontation.

"He was saying he still hasn't got his drugs," Conway said of Mr Ward. "I said: "oh well, I haven't got it. Then he's just jumped up, got up and grabbed a knife and come at me. I've just grabbed a knife that was hanging on a door and I stabbed him as he come towards me. I guess I thought he was going to stab me."

Christopher Ward died after he was stabbed once in the stomach at a unit in Broadmeadow last year. Ian Conway was on Friday found guilty of his murder.

During his closing address, Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw told the jury they should reject Conway's version, but said even on his own account Conway did not genuinely believe his actions were necessary to defend himself.

"He created a dangerous situation then in his evidence tries to use that situation to justify stabbing someone," Mr Shaw said.

And ultimately, after deliberating for 12 hours, the jury agreed, filing back into Newcastle Supreme Court about 10.45am on Friday and finding Conway guilty of murder.

The verdict means the jury must have rejected Conway's version that he was defending himself at the time he stabbed Mr Ward and also found that he had intended to either kill or cause Mr Ward grievous bodily harm when he stabbed him.

Conway remains behind bars and will be sentenced in February next year.