A man did not believe he had killed his friend after stabbing him repeatedly in the chest with a 20-centimetre knife.
"He's faking it," Samual Albert Campbell said, slapping Nicholas Robertson, having just stabbed the 38-year-old 15 times in southern NSW.
The murder was "unprovoked and without reason", Justice Peter Garling said, jailing the now 23-year-old Campbell for at least 20 years and six months in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday.
Campbell had been taking the drug ice for several days, after showing up at a mate's Cooma home in February 2021.
He asked Zane Kouaider if he could stay the night on February 10, and ended up staying until he attacked him and murdered Mr Robertson on February 15.
Campbell had previously left the knife he would use to attack the pair at the home, and had to ask Mr Kouaider's mother for it back.
While in Cooma, he became focused on obtaining more ice, injecting himself with needles obtained from the local hospital.
"Off to buy meth," he told his host after emptying his bank account when a Centrelink payment hit.
Mr Kouaider was unhappy about him injecting in the house and told him to take it down to the creek, where he observed Campbell travel on numerous occasions over the next two days.
On February 14, Campbell took a larger dose than usual.
He told a group of people that at Mr Kouaider's house, before Mr Robertson arrived.
Mr Kouaider considered Mr Robertson a father figure, while Campbell thought of him as a friend, according to agreed facts on Campbell's sentencing.
Campbell asked Mr Kouaider to drive him home to Adaminaby at 2am on February 15 and they got in the car with Mr Robertson.
"Why are youse taking me out here, are you going to kill me?" Campbell asked during the trip he requested they take.
"Why would we want to hurt you?" the man who had let Campbell stay in his home for the previous four days said.
"I just don't trust you. Are you taking me out to the bush to kill me?" Campbell said.
Mr Kouaider later slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop, frightened by Campbell's erratic behaviour.
Campbell then stabbed Mr Kouaider through the left arm. The knife went completely through.
Mr Robertson intervened and was then stabbed repeatedly in the chest.
Campbell continued to stab him after he escaped the car.
Mr Robertson was pronounced dead at Cooma Hospital about 4.15am, killed by stab wounds including three that penetrated his lungs and liver.
Mr Kouaider had surgery on two gaping stab wounds with significant muscle damage.
He was only 19 and will have to deal with the injuries for the rest of his life, the judge said.
Police arrested Campbell in bushland near the scene of the stabbing.
"It didn't happen," he told police back at Cooma Police Station.
"I didn't kill Nicholas or wound Zane."
He told police it was true he had taken ice the previous day.
Campbell eventually admitted what he had done, pleading guilty to murder and wounding with intent to kill.
He has been in custody since February 15, 2021 and his punishment for wounding Mr Kouaider was backdated to then.
He will begin a 24-year sentence with a non-parole period of 18 years for murdering Mr Robertson next month.
Campbell is eligible for parole in August 2041.
