The last time Wade Still's girlfriend saw him was on the back of his killer's motorbike holding a large fuel container.
Soon after, the 23-year-old was doused with petrol twice and burned to death in a disused quarry at Whitebridge, near Newcastle in NSW's Hunter region.
Troy McCosker, 51, is on trial before a jury and has pleaded not guilty to murder and the alternative charge of laying an explosive substance, petrol, in front of his victim with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Mr Still managed to name his killer before dying from first degree burns to 90 per cent of his body on August 20, 2018. The killer pleaded has guilty to murder, but can't be named for legal reasons.
Paige Millan, who was dating Mr Still in the weeks before his death, told the Newcastle Supreme Court on Tuesday about a number of phone calls Mr Still had with his killer about petrol.
After driving Mr Still to a Windale bowser to fill up one of her fuel containers, she said she dropped him off at a designated meeting spot at Ringal Valley.
Her boyfriend got out of the car, saying he would call in about 20 minutes.
She watched Mr Still holding onto his soon-to-be killer and a large red petrol container as they drove away on a motorbike.
Another friend of Mr Still's, David Rose, said he was aware there had been "bad blood" between McCosker and his friend.
Mr Still claimed to Mr Rose that he was determined to make McCosker's life "hell," and would often stand over him after breaking into his house.
Ms Millan said only days before his death, Mr Still was confronted about stealing McCosker's storage shed keys before he was caught out and returned them.
Six months earlier, McCosker, along with a group of men, bashed Mr Still with a "wooden handlebar" for a similar offence, the court heard.
Mr Rose smoked cannabis with Mr Still the night he was murdered, and said he was "cheery," "chirpy" and "jumping around" after taking some Xanax.
The Crown says Mr Still was first set alight just before 12.10am, after an argument.
McCosker was then allegedly tasked with driving the killer to get more petrol, and thus forming a joint criminal enterprise to "finish off" Mr Still.
But McCosker claims he was sitting in his car "completely oblivious" to what was happening while the killer was gone for about five minutes.
The trial before Justice Robert Hulme continues.
