IT WAS SELF DEFENCE
Court hears accused murderer admits he was responsible for his friend’s death but claims ...
ACCUSED murderer Nick Munn claims he was acting in self-defence when he killed his friend inside a North Shore property last year.
Jason Fry died after being struck to the head with a claw hammer at his home on April 9, 2018.
The 41-year-old’s decomposed body was found nearby six days later wrapped in tarpaulin and carpet inside an abandoned vehicle.
Mr Munn has pleaded not guilty to murder, despite admitting he was responsible for causing Mr Fry’s death.
At the opening of a trial yesterday, defence barrister Ashley Halphen said it would be argued that Mr Munn was defending himself when he killed Mr Fry.
Mr Halphen told a Supreme Court jury his client “unequivocally” denied murdering Mr Fry.
ACCUSED murderer Nick Munn claims he was acting in self defence when he killed his friend inside a North Shore property last year.
Jason Fry died after being struck to the head with a claw hammer at his home on April 9, 2018.
The 41-year-old’s decomposed body was found nearby six days later wrapped in tarpaulin and carpet inside an abandoned vehicle.
Mr Munn has pleaded not guilty to murder, despite admitting he was responsible for causing Mr Fry’s death.
At the opening of a trial yesterday, defence barrister Ashley Halphen said it would be argued that Mr Munn was defending himself when he killed Mr Fry.
Mr Halphen told a Supreme Court jury his client “unequivocally” denied murdering Mr Fry.
“It’s not a who-done-it case,” Mr Halphen said. “Why and how it happened will be matters for you to decide.”
The prosecution alleges Mr Munn, 41, was motivated by anger stemming from a financial dispute when he attacked Mr Fry with the weapon.
Crown prosecutor Justin Lewis said an autopsy showed Mr Fry suffered multiple skull fractures and that there was evidence he had received at least 13 blows to the head.
Mr Lewis said the killing occurred on the same day Mr Fry was due to be evicted from his Seaforth St property after falling behind in rental payments.
The court heard Mr Munn knew his alleged victim since the pair were teenagers and that he had moved in to live with Mr Fry about three weeks before the incident.
Mr Lewis said the accused killer gave Mr Fry $2500 to help pay off the rental debt, but that the money was spent elsewhere, possibly on gambling.
He told the court Mr Fry was last seen alive at 2.10pm on the day of his death, when his Toyota Hilux was sighted arriving at the North Shore property.
Mr Fry was due to meet a person in Truganina later that day to sell his vehicle.
A string of allegations were aired in court on Tuesday including claims that: MR FRY’S body was driven around Geelong for several days before it was discovered; THE alleged murderer was seen lifting “something heavy” into the rear of a blue Holden Commodore the morning after the killing; TWO of Mr Munn’s associates later noticed Mr Fry’s leg protruding from rolled-up carpet in the same vehicle; and, A CCTV system at Mr Fry’s property was dismantled around the time of his death.
Mr Halphen said it was acknowledged that his client had tried to evade police and cover his tracks following the incident.
“On any view, he behaved poorly and that’s probably an understatement,” he said.
But Mr Halphen urged the jury to be aware of the possibility that people could act in “unexpected ways” when confronted with “extreme and unforeseen” circumstances.
Mr Munn has been in custody since he was arrested two days after the discovery of Mr Fry’s body.
The trial, which is being held in Geelong, is expected to run for three weeks.
IT’S NOT A WHO-DONE-IT CASE. WHY AND HOW IT HAPPENED WILL BE MATTERS FOR YOU TO DECIDE. DEFENCE BARRISTER ASHLEY HALPHEN