Warren Anthony Scott left Edward Carter ‘drowning in his own blood’ after weeks of drinking, court hears

A south coast man thought he was on a boat as he held a knife to his mum’s throat before allegedly murdering her friend who stepped in to help.

A south coast man who had been drinking all day for weeks, before allegedly murdering a friend inside his mother’s home, has blamed a debt of a few hundred dollars for the death, a court heard.

Warren Anthony Scott, 38, from Bega pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering his 49-year-old friend Edward “Uncle Eddie” Carter with a knife, more than two years after his arrest by police outside his mother’s Eden home.

Scott appeared in court via video link on Tuesday from Long Bay Hospital, and has been held in custody since his arrest on April 4, 2019.

The court heard Scott had been drinking between three and four litres of wine each day “for weeks”, before downing a “bottle or two of port” before Mr Carter’s death.

The Eden home where Edward Carter died from his injuries. Warren Anthony Scott will stand trial charged with his murder. Picture: Google Maps

The court heard witnesses described Scott’s behaviour on the day of Mr Carter’s death as “unusual”, and that his behaviour was “freaking out” his uncle.

At one point Scott held a knife to his mother’s throat thinking he was on a boat, the court heard.

“Where do you want it?” Scott told his mother as he held the knife near her face, the court heard.

His mother told the court he had a “possessed look in his eyes”, and her usually “happy” son appeared paranoid and “very scary”.

She told the court she could “look straight through” her son’s eyes before Mr Carter was stabbed.

Prosecutors allege Scott shut one of the curtains inside the home in an attempt to prevent police looking inside after they were called by a neighbour, the court heard.

The court heard police shouted at Scott through a window, before Scott yelled back ‘f*** off pigs”, and held the front door shut as police attempted to kick it in.

The court heard Scott told police Mr Carter was “drowning in his own blood” and was calm and coherant after his arrest, even asking for a cigarette.

The trial will begin on September 14. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The court heard Scott threatened his mother with a knife, before threatening her with another knife 10 minutes later.

The court heard Mr Carter then stepped in to help Scott’s mother, before Scott turned his “attention” towards him.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Kerri Eagle told the court little was known about what went on in the house, and Scott had “difficulty remembering” details.

She told the court there was no evidence Scott, who has an intellectual impairment, suffers from schizophrenia, but likely had an “abnormality of mind”, and his mental health improved after he stopped drinking alcohol while in custody.

The court heard Mr Scott later told psychiatrists he stabbed Mr Carter after a dispute over a few hundred dollars, after Scott “felt he had spent more than his fair share” on his mother.

The court heard, Scott’s parole officer told police Scott has a tendency to get “angry” when he feels people owe him money.

The court heard, Scott told witnesses he was going to “get the death penalty” as he was arrested, with Dr Eagle adding this showed he knew “his behaviour was wrong”.

Psychiatrist Olav Nielssen told the court Scott and Mr Carter “got along very well” until Scott claimed he was owed money, and Scott couldn‘t remember why he held the knife to his mother’s throat.

The court heard Scott had been taken to hospital in the days leading up to the stabbing after being “found staggering in a park in Bega”.

The judge-alone trial before Judge Natalie Adams will conclude on Thursday.

Judge Adams told the court a verdict is likely next week.