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A NEWCASTLE Supreme Court jury has listened to a harrowing triple-zero call made by the former girlfriend of Kieran Priestland after she found him “covered in blood” and slumped in the driver’s seat of his car outside a home in Niagara Park in 2014.
Ashleigh Cornish became so distraught while listening to the call on Thursday that she had to leave the courtroom and the remainder of the tape was played in her absence.
Ms Cornish was giving evidence in the trial of Rachel Manevski, accused of murder and accessory after the fact to murder over the stabbing death of Mr Priestland, 18, on February 13, 2014.
The crown alleges Ms Manevski is responsible for the murder of Mr Priestland because she was part of an agreement or understanding between herself and her then boyfriend, co-accused Andrew Perkins, to, at the very least, cause Mr Priestland very serious injury.
During the triple-zero call, a hysterical Ms Cornish can be heard telling the operator: “He’s f---ing dying in my arms”.
When asked by the operator who stabbed Mr Priestland, Ms Cornish responds: “Andrew Perkins”, the court heard.
She can be heard repeatedly begging Mr Priestland to “stay with me”, while imploring the triple-zero operator to help her.
Ms Cornish had earlier told the court she had been drinking with Mr Perkins and Ms Manevski at Mr Perkins’s home in Pierce Street, Niagara Park on the night of Mr Priestland’s death.
Ms Cornish and Mr Priestland had been arguing, but Ms Cornish contacted him later in the night to come and pick her up.
She told the court that when Mr Priestland arrived, both Ms Manevski and Mr Perkins said: “I’m going to kill him”.
Ms Cornish said she saw the pair go into the kitchen and could hear the draws being opened and cutlery being moved.
When she got outside she said she saw Mr Perkins and Ms Manevski at the driver’s side door of Mr Priestland’s car.
They went back into the house and she found Mr Priestland bleeding profusely from his chest.
The trial, before Justice Richard Button, continues.
