When Benjamin Suttie noticed people approaching in a park south of Brisbane late at night, he allegedly told his group: "It's Woodridge, stand behind me".
Soon afterwards his throat had been cut. Three days later he was dead.
Harley David Wegener, 34, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the Brisbane Supreme Court after Mr Suttie's neck was slashed at Woodridge in August 2018.
Mr Suttie, 37, died days after a major artery was severed in the Prince Park altercation.
The court heard his blood alcohol level was 0.268 on the night he was stabbed in an encounter between two groups.
Defence barrister Joseph Briggs said the heavily intoxicated Mr Suttie's decision to lead his group toward danger in what was a dangerous neighbourhood may have been an error of judgment.
"I mean no disrespect to the men and women of that place but it seems to be the case that there is danger in Woodridge," he told the jury.
"Mr Suttie himself effectively said the same thing."
Mr Suttie saw five people approaching in the park and told his four-strong group to get behind him and "protect yourselves" because they are in Woodridge, the court heard.
"If he had been sober you might think that he would have said 'it's Woodridge ... let's just turn back'," Mr Briggs said.
"But instead of that ... he said let's keep going ... towards this identified, potential danger."
The Crown alleges when Mr Suttie walked past Wegener's group he asked "how's it going guys" in a friendly tone.
A man in the other group who was allegedly Wegener replied: "You getting cheeky c***?".
Mr Suttie then allegedly said: "Nah, nothing like that mate, just trying to say hello".
The Crown alleges Wegener then moved toward Mr Suttie, pulled an object out of his satchel and slashed at his face, cutting him under the eye.
Wegener then lashed out again aiming at Mr Suttie's throat and "struck home with the second blow", severing the carotid artery before fleeing, the court heard.
However, Mr Briggs said evidence suggested Wegener did not pick a fight and that it was a chance encounter that escalated into a physical exchange.
Wegener said he had slipped after Mr Suttie started a fist fight and discovered that his 30cm knife had fallen out of his pocket.
Wegener told the court that he used a hand that was holding his knife on its side with the blade pointing away to push at Mr Suttie in a bid to ward him off and regain his feet.
He was not trying to stab Mr Suttie, Wegener said.
Wegener told the court that he carried a knife for his own safety in a "rough suburb" after being knocked unconscious with a fence paling and robbed in Woodridge months earlier.
Mr Briggs said there was a "ring of truth" to Wegener's evidence.
The trial before Justice Melanie Hindman continues.
