THE neighbours of a Maryborough man found dead in his home heard banging and yelling the night the man died, the Supreme Court has heard.
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Two teenage boys are standing trial in Bendigo after pleading not guilty to the murder of John Bourke.
The court heard the 45-year-old man was found dead in his Derby Road home on July 15, 2018.
A witness who lived near Mr Bourke told jurors she woke to loud banging, yelling, and swearing sometime between 1am and 3am on July 15, 2018.
The witness told the court the noises sounded like a door being kicked in and furniture being smashed.
The witness told jurors it sounded like "someone was being abused".
The witness told jurors she did not know how long the banging and yelling went on for, although it did last for some time.
The court heard that about 30 minutes after the noises ended, the witness heard two or three people speaking to each other out the front of her home.
She told the court the voices sounded male, although she did not get up from her bedroom to check who was there.
Another witness, who lived close to Mr Bourke's home, told the court he woke to loud noises in the early hours of July 15, 2018.
The witness told jurors it was pretty clear the sounds were coming from Mr Bourke's home.
The witness told the court it sounded like someone was "ransacking the house" and ripping cupboards from the walls.
The court heard the witness got up from his bed and went to his backyard to check if anyone was there, but did not see anyone. He did not go to the front of his property, the jury was told.
The court heard the witness then heard what sounded like two males yelling and swearing at each other on the footpath out the front of his home. The witness got up from bed to check but could not see anyone there.
The two witnesses told the court they heard people coming and going from the house party further down the road throughout the night.
The trial will continue in Bendigo on Thursday. It is expected to run for five weeks.
-Bendigo Advertiser