A tradie accused of murdering a colleague in a jealous fit of rage was "caught red-handed" charging at the unarmed man with a knife while he had his hands up in surrender, a Sydney jury has been told.
Peni "Ben" Apikotoa, 34, bled to death on the doorstep of a St Clair home in August 2018 after Nathan Chatimba plunged a knife seven centimetres into his shoulder and severed a major artery.
Mr Apikotoa had come to the home of Chatimba's ex-partner Cassie Sanders after the accused angrily confronted him on the phone about his suspicions the pair were seeing each other.
Chatimba, now 33, has pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming he was struck first and stabbed Mr Apikotoa several times in self-defence.
In his closing address to the Supreme Court jury, crown prosecutor Gareth Christofi said that was not the case at all.
The evidence of neighbour and witness Shane Stonestreet couldn't make that any clearer, he says.
From the driveway next door, Mr Stonestreet had earlier told the court he had a clear view of Chatimba charging at a man with a fluoro top.
"While the accused was charging, the man in the fluoro was back-pedalling... with his hands up," Mr Christofi said.
The streetlight had illuminated a 20cm knife in Chatimba's hand, and Mr Stonestreet then saw him swing down at the other man.
"The accused was caught red-handed," the Crown said.
"He saw the accused attacking the deceased with a knife ... as he was desperately trying to get away."
The pattern of blood found in the street after the attack is consistent with Mr Stonestreet's version of events, Mr Christofi said.
The severity, location and number of stab wounds support it too.
"Low and behold, three of these stab wounds were very nasty wounds to both of the deceased's forearms and to the back of his right wrist," he said.
"It is worth noting that there were no injuries whatsoever on the accused."
Chatimba himself had a moment of truth after the attack, Mr Christofi said, when telling a neighbour to call an ambulance as he had stabbed someone.
"The accused did not say 'the deceased just ran on to my knife'."
Chatimba's ex-partner Ms Sanders also claims she heard him rustling through a box that contained a knife before Mr Apikotoa even arrived.
Her ex was already angry, having thrown a phone at her head, she said.
Mr Apikotoa, on the other hand, was not a violent man, Mr Christofi said, reading out reflections from his friends.
"None of this is consistent with self-defence," the prosecutor said.
Even a finding of excessive self-defence, which would see Chatimba convicted of manslaughter, was unfounded, he said.
"The accused did not stab the accused thinking that his conduct was necessary to defend himself, and nor was the accused's conduct a reasonable response to the circumstances."
The trial continues, with Chatimba's defence yet to present closing arguments to the jury.
