A known ice dealer was murdered by three men during a fatal "drug rip" north of Newcastle, a prosecutor has told a Supreme Court jury.
In his opening address, Crown Prosecutor Liam Shaw told the jury that ice (crystal meth) dealer David King was gunned down in his car as he fled a "drug rip" — the street name for ripping off or robbing a drug dealer.
Elijah Cage, 28, Tyson Stamp, 29, and Max Lowcock, 30, all from Newcastle, have all pleaded not guilty to murder, by way of allegedly being part of a joint criminal enterprise.
The court was told Mr King had driven to suburban Salt Ash on August 29, 2021, to sell a quarter of an ounce of ice to Mr Cage and Mr Lowcock, in a pre-arranged drug deal.
But, Mr Shaw said, the pair took a shortened firearm to the meeting, with the intention of robbing Mr King.
When the 45-year-old drug dealer became suspicious and drove off, he was shot in the neck.
"It is the Crown's case that the shooting and killing of David King was when a drug rip went wrong and he started to drive away," Mr Shaw said.
Let guard down
Mr Shaw told jurors Mr King had let his guard down because the drug deal had been organised by a woman he knew.
"[She] was used by the group, in particular Elijah Cage, in a sense to open the door to David King," he said.
"That was, to have David King attend what he believed was an exchange of drugs for money."
The court heard when the deal fell apart, Mr King drove off, but crashed into a tree after being shot, and died shortly after paramedics pulled him from his car.
Mr Shaw told jurors either Mr Lowcock or Mr Cage shot Mr King, and that Mr Stamp had hired a getaway car to take the trio to and from the scene.
That car was found burnt out about 17 kilometres away.
Slain in COVID lockdown
The prosecutor said the shooting happened at a time when a COVID lockdown was underway.
"People were meant to stay at home and so when this shooting occurred in this quiet suburban street, most residents were at home," he said.
"When they heard banging sounds, they thought it was a car crash and started to run to the scene to give assistance.
"One of the front runners saw a person who had a firearm and they shouted at the other neighbours to run back because they had a gun."
All three men strenuously deny killing Mr King and their separate barristers are due to deliver their opening addresses tomorrow.
The trial before Justice Dina Yehia is set to run for up to eight weeks.