LAVINGTON man Campbell Hart was yesterday committed to stand trial on a charge of murder involving the death of Luke Hargrave, 32, at his house in 2013.
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But a senior barrister representing Hart indicated in court that his client was prepared to plead guilty to manslaughter.
Eric Wilson SC in extensive submissions on the evidence in the case submitted it showed his client had committed the indictable offence of manslaughter.
Mr Wilson said he had been instructed by his client to offer a guilty plea to manslaughter.
Director of Public Prosecutions representative Andrew Lynch said there was no evidence of a struggle before the shooting between Mr Hargrave and Hart, who should be committed for trial on murder.
Magistrate Tony Murray indicated there was sufficient evidence for Hart, 29, to stand trial in the Supreme Court on a murder charge.
He will face arraignment in the Supreme Court in Sydney on July 3.
The committal hearing which began in February and lasted three days was told Mr Hargrave, 32, was fatally shot with a pen pistol in the left temple in a cinema room at his Vickers Road home.
Shannon Turnbull was talking to Mr Hargrave on his mobile phone when he was fatally shot between 10.30pm and 10.45pm on October 29.
They had a discussion about a hydraulic tipper trailer for the wood cutting business operated by Mr Hargrave and the likely cost.
“It was around this time that I heard what sounded like a door slam shut,” Mr Turnbull said.
“The noise sounded in the background, but close to the phone.”
Mr Turnbull described the sound as being like someone shutting a kitchen cupboard or door.
He kept talking on the phone after the noise, but there was no response.
“There was no reply. It was pretty quiet for 20 to 30 seconds,” he said.
He then heard a woman screaming close to the phone.
Mr Murray was told during the committal about Hart being paranoid from the use of the drug ice.
He looked sleep deprived, was skinny, worried about undercover police cars and believed there were “midgets” and cameras in the roof of his house.