What led to Corey Breceljnik's death? The questions a jury must answer

Russel Rajapakse has pleaded not guilty to murdering Corey Breceljnik and is on trial in Newcastle Supreme Court. The jury retired on Tuesday to begin deliberating.

Was it a fight between two men or an attack with a knife that led to the death of Corey Breceljnik outside a home at Watanobbi in October, 2020?

And was accused murderer Russel Rajapakse acting in self-defence after he was called to the house to recover methamphetamine stolen during a drug rip at Cessnock earlier in the night?

These are some of the questions a jury will have to answer after they retired on Tuesday afternoon to begin determining the fate of Mr Rajapakse, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Breceljnik, known as "Sticks", outside the home in Slim Close on October 25, 2020.

Corey Breceljnik died after he was stabbed outside a home at Watanobbi in October, 2020.

He has also pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault with intent to rob and the trial has focused on whether it was Mr Rajapakse who inflicted the fatal stab wound to Mr Breceljnik's left armpit during a struggle over the stolen drugs.

The jury have heard Mr Breceljnik and three friends organised to buy an ounce of methamphetamine from a drug dealer at Cessnock and made the trip from the Central Coast on the evening of October 25.

But when they arrived they took off with about 11 grams of ice, triggering a wild pursuit during which the drug dealers repeatedly rammed their car.

The group from the Central Coast - including Mr Breceljnik - eventually got away and split up the drugs as they headed back to Slim Close.

The jury has heard Mr Rajapakse and his friend, Anthony Lawlor, were contacted by the aggrieved drug dealers and asked to retrieve the stolen drugs.

And not long after the group arrived back in Watanobbi, there was a knock on the door from Mr Rajapakse and Mr Lawlor.

According to witnesses, there was a discussion in a bedroom about the drugs and most of those responsible for the drug rip handed back their share.

The jury has heard Mr Breceljnik was told to hand over his spoils of the drug rip, but said he didn't have any and was either walked or dragged outside by Mr Rajapakse and Mr Lawlor before he was stabbed.

One of Mr Breceljnik's friends, who went on the drug rip, gave evidence last week, telling the jury he initially thought Mr Rajapakse was punching Mr Breceljnik outside the home in Slim Close.

"Russ was standing there and I thought he was punching him and then I realised he was stabbing him in the gut and I jumped backwards," the man said. "I saw Sticksy just drop and there was a big pool of blood around him."

The man, who broke down in tears while retelling the incident, said he was "100 per cent" sure he had seen the knife in Mr Rajapakse's hand and that is what made him "jolt" and then run away.

He claimed Mr Breceljnik was not throwing any punches and Mr Rajapakse struck him between three and five times "in the stomach and chest area".

But when Mr Lawlor gave evidence he said there was no argument over the stolen drugs and no mention or sight of any knife.

And he said when he and Mr Rajapakse drove away from the house on that night, Mr Breceljnik was alive and well.

It is the prosecution case that the evidence points to Mr Rajapakse having stabbed Mr Breceljnik and intending to at least cause him grievous bodily harm. And Crown prosecutor Carl Young told the jury it was not a self-defence case and all the evidence points in the opposite direction.

Defence barrister Nicole Carroll told the jury they could not be satisfied that it was Mr Rajapakse who held the knife when Mr Breceljnik was stabbed and while he was there during the "fight" he was acting in self-defence.

The jury will continue deliberating on Wednesday morning.