A 77-year-old man is on trial in the Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to murdering Raymond Keam in a Sydney park nearly four decades ago.
Stanley Early was arrested in August 2021 in what police alleged was a gay-hate crime based on a false perception of Mr Keam's sexual orientation.
His body was found face up in the grass in Randwick's Alison Park on the morning of January 13, 1987 with various injuries, and a post-mortem examination later revealed he had died from a brain haemorrhage.
In an opening statement, Crown prosecutor Ken McKay SC had argued there was evidence that prior to the alleged murder the Victorian man had on occasion been part of a group who had "set upon" men in the park late at night because they believed them to be gay.
At the time of Mr Keam's death the accused went by the name Stanley "Spider" Sutton and lived in a boarding house opposite the park.
On Wednesday the son of his former landlord, Roger Rolland gave evidence that the accused had talked to him about "poofters running around the park, and rock spiders".
He told the court Mr Early had also talked about a priest being bashed in the park "because he was a rock spider".
Mr Rolland said Mr Early had bragged about smashing the side window or windscreen of a Porsche that was parked near the park.
"I think it was with a bat, that's what he said," he told the court.
When asked by Crown if Mr Early had explained why he had done it, Mr Rolland replied, "'It was a poofter', that's what he said".
He also told the jury he himself had nearly been set upon by the accused and a group of young men while walking through the park late at night.
"I walked up the steps [and] there would have been four young guys that were just about to attack me," he said.
"They were about to attack me and Stan said he's okay, he's my landlord."
Recounts of day body was discovered read in court
Earlier the jury was read written statements from now deceased witnesses describing the morning Mr Keam's body was found.
Rita Flegman, who lived opposite the park described how she'd flagged down a passing garbage crew after spotting the body from a distance.
In her statement she also said she and a passing nun had then "kneeled by the man and prayed for his soul".
Now retired police officer Eric Pearson told the jury how he came to the park to examine the crime scene and when he partially removed the deceased's trousers he observed his underpants had been pulled down beneath his penis and testicles.
He also noted that the underpants had the words "I need all the friends I can get" printed on them.
On Tuesday Mr Keam's de facto partner at the time Diane Smart told the jury she'd first learnt of the discovery of Mr Keam's body on the news.
"When I seen it I had a vision straight away that I thought it was Ray's medallion on the silver chain," she said.
In his opening statement defence barrister Jeffrey Clarke suggested to the jury that Mr Keam may not have received his fatal injuries in the park.
"Is there a reasonable prospect that when he arrived in that park he had a ticking time bomb, a pre existing injury, that ultimately led to him dying at that location?"
He also suggested the case was a "whodunnit".
"The Crown didn't say at any stage that they could prove those two men had contact. No one saw them together in that park," Mr Clarke said.
The trial continues.
