A BALLARAT man accused of killing his cousin's autistic stepson with an axe was an aggressive, insecure and manipulative man who constantly "ranted" about giving his cousin a "flogging", a jury has been told.
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A witness told a Supreme Court jury on Thursday that Darren Wilson, 34, was an "aggro" man whose insecurities fuelled beliefs that his cousin had been bashing his stepson and molesting his stepdaughter.
The same witness said Wilson had been "trying to shag" a 16-year-old girl living near his cousin, Peter Williams, and that both Wilson and the girl were angry at Mr Williams for "peering through windows" late at night.
"He (Wilson) carries on a lot," the witness told the jury.
"He was always talking about wanting to bash people.
"Always quoting from Chopper movies."
EARLIER IN THE TRIAL:
Wilson has pleaded not guilty to the gruesome murder in which Mr Williams' stepson, Timothy O'Brien, 14, died from "severe trauma" to the head after allegedly being struck at least 20 times with an axe.
Timothy's body was discovered by police at the teenage girl's home, who Wilson had been trying to have a relationship with, on the morning of January 5 last year.
The jury has heard Peter Williams had been lured to the Scarsdale farmhouse under a plan devised by Wilson to bash him.
The court has heard Wilson had earlier been warned by police not to go near Mr Williams or his family after an incident in which he allegedly broke into their home, rearranged furniture and left a threatening note.
The jury has heard Wilson told a local officer he would kill Mr Williams, but that the police member took it as a "throwaway" line.
The jury has heard Wilson and another man were picked up by an associate, Lisa Trezise, the night before the alleged murder.
Trezise, with her two young children in the car, drove the men to the Scarsdale farmhouse before she and two teenage girls drove to Mr Williams' home and lured him back, telling him they were scared of prowlers.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Tinney SC has told the jury Timothy, armed with a baseball bat, went with his stepfather because of an "inseparable" bond between the pair.
Timothy used the baseball bat to first hit Wilson after he jumped from a room and began bashing Mr Williams.
Timothy also hit the another man before being chased him out of the home. The man jumped on his back and allegedly began hitting Timothy with the blunt side of the axe.
The jury has heard Wilson then came out of the house, picked up the axe, turned it to its bladed side and allegedly struck Timothy several times before warning Trezise that she and her kids would be next if she didn't shut up.
The trial before Justice Betty King continues.