A man accused of killing his friend with a machete in western Melbourne believed the victim and others had previously killed a woman described as a “witch” to rob her, a court has heard.
Christopher Reyes Gonzaga, 45, is on trial in the Victorian Supreme Court over the alleged murder of Gregory Tan, 45, at an empty house in Deer Park on 15 April 2024.
Gonzaga’s barrister, John Lavery, told the jury he did not dispute that his client delivered the fatal blows. The central issue, he said, would be what prosecutors could establish about Gonzaga’s state of mind.
Mr Tan was struck dozens of times to the head, neck and torso. His right hand was partially severed, while cuts to his arms reached the bone and are alleged by prosecutors to have been defensive wounds.
The house where the attack allegedly occurred was next door to the property where Mr Tan lived with his brother, their partners and another friend. It had been left empty after its previous tenant, a woman, died.
In a police interview after his arrest, Gonzaga said he and Mr Tan had entered the property looking for items, including a possible stash of money hidden in the ceiling.
Speaking through a Filipino interpreter, Gonzaga told police Mr Tan had said the former occupant was a witch and had died from an overdose.
“I was like what the f***? You kill that girl,” Gonzaga told police. “They overdosed the girl so they can claim all the stuff.”
Gonzaga also claimed Mr Tan had been under the influence of “juice”, a common street name for GHB, and had threatened him with a screwdriver.
“He was acting like he was going to stab me,” Gonzaga said.
He told police people using GHB could become volatile and dangerous, saying he had been forced to act to protect himself.
“It’s like the body’s moving but the mind’s not there,” he said. “No one should ever put their life on someone that is a state of mind that juicing or like a zombie state. It’s either you run or you fight – that’s it.”
A post-mortem examination found Mr Tan had methamphetamine, cannabis and GHB in his system when he died.
The trial continues.
