A man is standing trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court accused of murdering an axe-wielding man by hitting him with a scooter during a violent street confrontation in Raymond Terrace, north of Sydney, in the early hours of 9 April 2024. Kane Flanders, 32, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashley Morgan, 38, whose death followed a chaotic episode involving verbal abuse, a smashed window and damaged letterboxes. The case matters as a jury now weighs whether the fatal blows amounted to murder.

The court heard that Mr Morgan allegedly brought an axe to the street after waking in a panic, believing someone had stolen his phone, drugs and money. He was said to have been drug-affected the previous night. Prosecutors say Flanders and his brother came out of their homes to tell Mr Morgan and his on-again, off-again girlfriend to quieten down because the noise was distressing their dogs. CCTV allegedly showed the couple yelling abuse and swinging the axe at letterboxes before the deadly clash.