A JURY’S verdict in the murder trial of Rachel Manevski will come down to the testimony of one key witness, Newcastle Supreme Court has heard.
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Ms Manevski, 22, has pleaded not guilty to murder and being an accessory after the fact to murder over the stabbing death of Kieran Priestland, 18, at Niagara Park in February, 2014.
The prosecution alleges that Ms Manevski is responsible for the murder of Mr Priestland because she was part of an agreement or understanding between herself and her then boyfriend, co-accused Andrew Perkins, to, at the very least, cause Mr Priestland very serious injury and that she was there when the stabbing occurred.
During his closing address, Crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell said the jury would have to accept the evidence of Ashleigh Cornish, the former girlfriend of Mr Priestland, to find Ms Manevski guilty of murder.
Ms Cornish was there on the night of Mr Priestland’s death and told the jury she heard Ms Manevski say “I’m going to kill him” when Mr Priestland arrived in his car to pick her up.
She also said she saw Ms Manevski at the driver’s side door of Mr Priestland’s car at the time he was being stabbed.
“Perhaps if it had been only Mr Perkins alone at the car perhaps he would have thought better of it and not gone through with it,” Mr Campbell said.
“But you may have thought because this accused was also there he was fortified to actually do it.
“Her presence in a very real way egged him on.”
Defence barrister John Fitzgerald submitted to the jury that Ms Cornish was not a reliable witness.
He said her evidence was “contradictory, inaccurate and on some points even untruthful”.
“Near enough is not good enough,” Mr Fitzgerald said during his closing address. “Near enough does not satisfy beyond reasonable doubt.”
The jury is expected to retire on Monday.
