Family hears man was fatally stabbed 'without warning'

Mr Fyfe was wounded at a unit complex south of the city on May 13, 2020 and died the next day.

He was killed by the 17-centimetre deep stab wound through the abdomen and into a main artery "without warning, provocation or justification," crown prosecutor Toby Corsbie told the jury. 

"Stabbing someone in the torso that deep, it evidences intention to kill or do grievous bodily harm," Mr Corsbie said.

The defence agreed Olive stabbed Mr Fyfe and caused a fatal injury, the jury heard.

"What you will be asked to determine was the manner in which that occurred," Mr Corsbie said.

A neighbour is expected to testify he heard a V8 engine and saw Mr Fyfe arrive via his green Commodore vehicle at the Waterford West flats at 8pm on May 13, 2020, the jury heard.

The same neighbour would testify he later heard a man yell "Michael, you dog c***" and that he had stabbed his mate, Mr Corsbie said.

Another bystander would testify they heard Olive say "yeah whatever, I'm a dog," as he left the scene.

Mr Fyfe's friend would testify they had known each other for 20 years but he did not know Olive well.

The jury would hear Mr Fyfe had earlier in the night asked Olive what he was doing near his Commodore and then walk outside the unit.

The friend saw Mr Fyfe and Olive move to the other side of the car and then hunched over as if punched in the gut," Mr Corsbie said.

"He then sees Mr Fyfe start to run away and Olive chasing him and then realised he had a knife; the strike to the gut was not a punch."

Olive was later found in his unit sitting on a couch with a knife in front of him that had an 18cm blade.

At 8.15pm Olive texted a family member to say "I just stabbed a neighbour because I am a soft c***."

Defence barrister Martin Longhurst told the jury they would hear evidence that Olive acted in self-defence.

"You are going to have to put yourself in Mr Olive's mind to reconcile with what he perceived at the time and his reasoning," Mr Longhurst said.

The defence would dispute Olive and Mr Fyfe were behind the Commodore at the time of the stabbing, the jury heard.

"That's the issue: who was doing what at the time," Mr Longhurst said.

The trial continues.