Four so-called Blood Brothers accused of murdering a fellow drug dealer say Brendan Vollmost pulled out a gun before he was struck in self-defence, a Sydney jury has been told.
Jamie Michael Tilley, 36, and Jack Davies, William Patrick Thomas and Mitchell James Bentley, all aged 27, have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and murdering Mr Vollmost, 23, at South Windsor in March 2015.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, barristers for the four men gave their opening addresses, saying the accused had no intention of harming Mr Vollmost but he produced a firearm when he was followed into his backyard shed.
The Crown has alleged the four men wanted to recover a drug debt from Mr Vollmost and "obtain the gratification of demonstrating they were a group to be respected".
The jury has been shown CCTV footage from the front of Mr Vollmost's house, depicting him running through a gate towards the back shed, followed by four men, before his body is carried out later by two men.
A significant amount of Mr Vollmost's blood was found in the back shed but his body has never been found.
Bentley's lawyer, James Travallion, told the jury there was no dispute his client was one of the four men on the footage, but it was disputed there was any intention to kidnap, kill or inflict serious injury on Mr Vollmost.
"The defence case is that once Mr Vollmost was in the back shed, Mr Vollmost armed himself with a firearm and directed that firearm at the accused Davies," he said.
"The accused Bentley, on seeing this, struck Mr Vollmost, knocking him to the ground.
"The defence case is that everything that was done after that in the shed by Mr Bentley and by Mr Davies was done in self-defence and in defence of each other."
Philip Young SC, for Davies, said any violence that took place in the shed occurred directly as a result of conduct by Mr Vollmost and his friend Ronald Byrnes.
He alleged Mr Byrnes had attempted to arm himself, while Mr Vollmost did so.
Nicole Carroll, for Thomas, said Mr Vollmost had a reputation for violence.
"Those surrounding him had a reputation for violence and he had a reputation for carrying and storing weapons," she said.
John Stratton SC, for Tilley, said by the time his client got to the shed "it was in fact all over".
Tilley was told Mr Vollmost had produced a firearm and he took part in carrying him out to the car, he said.
The trial is continuing.
AAP
