Murder accused bickered with pensioner over unreturned CDs before he was killed with frying pan, court told
A woman accused of murdering an elderly man with a frying pan in Sydney’s eastern suburbs allegedly “called him a dog” and feuded with him over unreturned CDs and money, a court has heard.
Julia Strafela, giving evidence at the murder trial of former friend Narelle Fiona Smith, said on Tuesday her South Coogee neighbour and sometimes lover Peter McCarthy had become irritated with the accused before his death in December 2020.
“Peter told me he loaned Narelle some CDs … and he was having trouble getting them back,” Strafela said. She could not recall when the issue arose but said McCarthy, 77, talked about wanting the CDs returned.
The pair also argued over $30 the aged pensioner had loaned to Smith, the court was told.
When Strafela raised McCarthy in conversation, Smith responded negatively, the supreme court jury was told.
“She called him a dog,” Strafela said on Tuesday. “I decided to stop doing that [mentioning McCarthy] as I didn’t want to get involved in dramas.”
Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup
After learning of McCarthy’s death on the day his body was discovered, the witness said she went into shock and began drinking at her apartment, before meeting friends for drinks.
She also texted Smith telling her: “Not to worry about the CDs. Peter’s dead.” There was no reply, jurors were told.
Strafela later ran into Smith near the Coogee cemetery, where she spotted her yelling at an unknown man before the pair began talking.
“As I approached I think she recognised me … I was still upset about what happened to Peter,” she said. “I just said … leave me alone. I don’t want to cuddle.”
Strafela told the court Smith then became upset, before getting angry with her and yelling at her about Peter.
“She yelled out ‘me and my team got rid of him, they’ll get rid of you
next’,” she alleged. “I didn’t believe it. I just thought she was being stupid. I was numb.”
Strafela then left and continued drinking on the beach, before returning home and talking with her friends Donna and Kylie about what Smith had said. The group then decided they would go to the police.
She later confronted Smith about the conversation in a text message, after TV news reports claimed the accused had been with McCarthy the week before his death.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to murdering McCarthy after spending the day celebrating her 46th birthday on 17 December 2020.
McCarthy’s bloody body wasn’t found until 20 December. He was faceup on the loungeroom floor, loosely covered in a tarp and a jumper, and surrounded by broken furniture, glasses and a frying pan, the court has heard.
Prosecutors allege a man known by Smith used McCarthy’s ATM cards after the murder and that Smith herself used his Opal card to travel around Sydney.
On Tuesday, Strafela said she and McCarthy used one another’s cards and had exchanged pins – but said she did not have his pin memorised.
“I didn’t need it,” she said “We would use it [one another’s cards] when we were hungover.”
Under cross-examination, Strafela said on Tuesday that about the time of the alleged murder she was trying to cut down on drinking, while McCarthy had not.
This did not affect their relationship but she said they had been seeing one another less.
Strafela denied returning to McCarthy’s apartment the Thursday before his body was discovered to find Smith and McCarthy together packing up her belongings.
“I didn’t want to get involved – whether they were best friends or worst of enemies,” Strafela told the jury.
Neighbour David Edwards told the court that in early 2019 he had seen Strafela get angry at McCarthy while a group of neighbours were drinking. He said he saw Strafela throw a bottle at the pensioner.
Strafela denied this incident occurred, telling the court she had “never hurt” McCarthy. The trial continues.