Two young men accused of the horrific bashing murder of a Gungahlin man in August allegedly made racist remarks about beating up Asians and laughingly boasted about the killing to friends, a court has been told.
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It has emerged witnesses heard ''a terrible scream'', swearing and the sounds of someone being repeatedly bludgeoned at the murder scene in Braddon but did not call police.
The ACT Magistrates Court heard the alleged killers, Taylor Lewis Schmidt and an underage teen who cannot be named, were drunk and on drugs and wanted to ''beat the shit'' out of Asian people.
The two have been charged with murder and aggravated robbery.
University graduate Liang Zhao, 27, was walking home after getting off a Greyhound bus from Melbourne when he was brutally attacked near the Northbourne Flats around 4am on August 4.
He suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene.
Police allege the killers stole his HTC mobile phone and his wallet containing just $21.
Mr Zhao called his mother when he arrived at the Jolimont Bus Centre and said he would walk home because there were no taxis.
His mother decided to pick him up but couldn't contact Mr Zhao and drove around Civic searching for him.
According to a statement of facts tendered to the court, Schmidt, 20, and the teenager were drinking cheap wine and smoking marijuana at a friend's apartment when they started talking about their hatred of Asian people and their desire to ''beat the shit out of a gook''. They allegedly left the apartment with a metal baseball bat about 3.50am and returned shortly afterwards ''covered in blood'' with the stolen money and a HTC smartphone.
The friend, known only as Witness A, told police that Schmidt initially tried to deny his involvement before admitting he hit Mr Zhao once with the metal bat.
Police say the juvenile teen confided in a friend that he and Schmidt had smashed several solar lights and two glass doors with a baseball bat and machete before spotting Mr Zhao near the flats.
They allegedly decided to rob him and struck him repeatedly with their weapons.
The teen told his friend he was scared and did not mean to kill Mr Zhao.
One witness told police he heard screaming and looked out his window to see the silhouettes of two men striking at someone or something in the courtyard below.
He heard a male voice whisper, ''He's dead,'' and another respond, ''Quick, run,'' and was too scared to call police.
Another witness said he didn't call triple-0 because screaming and other noises were not unusual at the public housing complex.
At a case management hearing yesterday the court heard the ''very large'' prosecution brief against Schmidt had been served. Magistrate Beth Campbell noted bail was not applied for and adjourned the matter to February.
