MMA murder accused says sparring death an 'accident'

Less than four hours after "seeing red" and killing his best friend in a home sparring match, a professional cage fighter expressed regret to police.

Bradley Dusan Fletcher, drank, took cocaine and donned some boxing gloves with his friend Bradley Evennett to celebrate moving into a sharehouse together in Sydney's northwest on March 22, 2024.

That afternoon after an initially friendly sparring match, Mr Evennett was lying face down in a pool of blood in the grass out the back of their home.

"We were sparring, we were boxing, it was an accident, bro," Fletcher told police when he was arrested that evening, a NSW Supreme Court jury heard as a murder trial began on Wednesday.

"I'm a pro-MMA fighter, off my head, dumbarse, like you don't do that shit.

"You don't kick your best mate in the face, he's got a bone disease, brother"

The 32-year-old had been hit twice, kicked in the head and then punched in the head three times while lying on the ground, crown prosecutor Kelly Ratcliffe told the jury in her opening address.

She described how Fletcher told police he did not think during the assault because he had "seen red".

"If someone pushed the parcel with me, I cant stop," he reportedly said.

Mr Evennett had been diagnosed with a genetic disorder osteogenesis imperfecta type 1 that causes brittle bones, Ms Ratcliffe said.

He was also not a trained martial artist.

Fletcher did not call triple zero after his friend stopped breathing, the jury heard.

Instead he dragged the body through the house and into the garage before loading it into the boot of the deceased's man's car.

He drove away and dumped the body on a footpath before driving off erratically, the jurors heard.

The body was found by a passerby who called triple zero.

On Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to murder.

However, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting that his actions caused his friend's death.

This lesser plea has been rejected by prosecutors.

Ms Ratcliffe said Fletcher intended to cause really serious injury to his friend during the sparring match.

An autopsy report concluded the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.

Mr Evennett was found with a head injury, brain bleeding, broken eye and facial bones, broken teeth - including a molar found in his airways - rib fractures, and abrasions on his limbs and neck.

"The crown case is that the nature of the injuries ... show that the accused intended at that moment of inflicting those injuries," Ms Ratcliffe said.

"It matters not that he regretted it later."

Fletcher's then-girlfriend Jasmine Robinson was also due to move into the home with the two men.

She was at the house when the pair began sparring but left before Mr Evennett was killed.

She is expected to testify that Fletcher asked her to help move the body afterwards.

Fletcher said Mr Evennett "deserved" the attack, the jury heard.

Defence barrister James Trevallion SC told the court his client denied these allegations.

The credibility and motives of Ms Robinson in claiming these things would be under attack during the trial, he told the jury.

He reiterated Fletcher had not intended to cause really serious injury to his friend during the sparring.

The trial continues on Thursday.