Three young men who chased a teenager through Tuggeranong bushland and allegedly prepared a car boot for his dead body have to wait until next week to learn of their fate, after the jury asked the court if it could go home for the long weekend.
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Alexander Raymond Iacuone, 23, Alexander James Duffy, 24, and a then 17-year-old who cannot be named, have been on trial for almost two weeks in the ACT Supreme Court, accused of conspiring to kill a 17-year-old with a baseball bat.
Iacuone had fallen out with the alleged victim, and gave evidence that he feared the 17-year-old was going to have him bashed.
The trio allegedly prepared a car to transport his body, spreading out a shower curtain in the boot to stop his blood from spreading.
They also allegedly obtained a shovel and a mattock to use to bury his body.
The court was told the accused lured the complainant from his Tuggeranong home, with the unnamed defendant saying he needed to talk about his girlfriend. The court heard Iacuone and Duffy emerged from the dark, running at the victim with a baseball bat, then chased him through bushland and confronted him near a dam spillway on Lake Tuggeranong.
Iacuone gave evidence that he and the complainant wrestled, before he put the teenager in a headlock, and the unnamed defendant began hitting both of them on the legs with the bat. He said he and the complainant rolled down the spillway into water.
The court heard the 17-year-old ran from the scene and was found by a nearby resident. Police were called and officers later intercepted the three accused in a car near the complainant's home.
Iacuone, represented by Keith Chapple, SC, and the unnamed defendant, represented by James Lawton, argued they never intended to kill the victim.
They said they had only formed a plan to bash him, and Iacuone said he never thought any of the group would actually go ahead with the murder.
Iacuone said he was scared of the victim and felt he needed to ''strike out at him before he could strike out at me''. He said he had been ''a bit creative'' when he told the others he wanted to kill the complainant.
Duffy, represented by James Sabharwal, said he was only a bystander and had not intended to do anything to the victim.
The jury began deliberations at about 11.30am on Friday, but came back about 4.30pm.
The jury asked if it could break and resume after the long weekend. After questioning by Justice John Burns, jury members said they were tired and unable to achieve anything productive.
The court allowed the jury to break for the long weekend. Deliberations will continue on Tuesday.
