Trial, day one: Court hears victim suffered 73 stab wounds
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Christopher David Navin apologised to a friend after police raided his Sydney home while investigating the stabbing death of Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber.
Navin, in a phone call played in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday, then asked the man to keep him informed on any further "police activities".
Navin, 29, is accused of stabbing his former housemate Mr Sofer-Schreiber to death in his Lyneham home on Boxing Day in 2013.
The pair met through the Canberra punk rock music scene and lived together in 2013 at the Hall Street unit.
But Navin moved out after the friendship became strained over damage to a garage wall.
The Crown alleges anger and revenge at being snubbed by his estranged friend had motivated Navin to murder Mr Sofer-Schreiber, who was known among his friends as the Ginger Ninja.
But friends have told the Supreme Court this week that Navin seemed to laugh off the incident.
It is common ground between the Crown and defence that Navin caused the avid punk rock fan's death.
But Navin has pleaded not guilty to murder due to mental impairment.
The ACT Supreme Court heard further evidence about Navin's behaviour in early 2014 as his murder trial entered its fifth day on Friday.
Navin's childhood friend, from the witness stand, said the accused had sounded "awkward and distant" when they spoke in January 2014.
Police raided the man's Sydney home in January and collected DNA evidence from his cat.
The man said it had been clear something had been wrong with Navin when they spoke soon after.
During the conversation, in which Navin apologised for the intrusion, he told the friend that his police statement included details of how he had fed the cat on the evening of Boxing Day.
"That's pretty f----- up. I feel strange that they would do that," Navin said.
"They're doing a pretty thorough investigation."
Navin then says he had heard police had another major suspect and ended the call with a request to be kept informed of any further contact with investigators.
The court also heard from a musician who knew both the accused and deceased through the Canberra music community.
The man said he had spoken to Navin at Mr Sofer-Schreiber's wake and the conversation turned to a famous horse trainer.
The man told the court that Navin suddenly "switched off and stared off into the distance".
He said he managed to recapture Navin's attention but the odd behaviour then happened a second time, so he went and spoke to other mourners.
Under cross-examination from defence barrister Stuart Littlemore, QC, the witness agreed that Navin's behaviour had been like he had been "away with the fairies".
The trial will enter its second week when it continues on Monday.
