Yelling heard before fatal stabbing

Natalie Ford in the dock at the Auckland High Court where she is appearing on a charge of murdering her former partner. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Locals heard screaming and yelling, moments before a woman stabbed her partner in the chest, a court has heard.

Natalie Ford is accused of murdering 45-year-old Gary Marshall after she was punched in the face and had her head slammed against a doorframe.

Ford has pleaded not guilty in the High Court at Auckland. Her lawyers have told the jury to think about whether Ford acted in self-defence.

Simon Turner was helping his daughter deliver circulars in Orewa when he heard the raised voices.

He said he heard Ford yell: "F*** you, Gary, you piece of s*** loser. You broke my bottle of bourbon."

Mr Turner told the court that he stopped at a mailbox and saw a bag thrown out a window. Ms Ford came out of the house and was yelling abuse. She went and picked up the bag before going back inside.

Soon after a second bag landed on the lawn.

"There was a lot of abuse yelled at each other."

Then Mr Turner said he heard the sound of a slap. Mr Marshall had been standing on the verandah, facing the road and dressed in his underwear as Ford came out of the front door and slapped him.

"[Mr Marshall] turned around, grabbed the front of her clothing and punched her in the head. She stumbled back to the doorframe.

"He grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her head into the doorframe at least three times."

He said Ms Ford fought back and raked her fingernails down his face.

He said Mr Marshall "manhandled" Ford inside before peering out of the house.

"I think he might have still been holding on to the woman."

Mr Turner said neighbours were in the area.

He said the argument continued inside the house but he could not see what was happening.

The next day he heard there had been a death in the street and contacted police.

A local, Markus Coops, has also told the court that he heard yelling and screaming.

Yesterday, Justice Kit Toogood told the jury that they needed to consider "whether what [Ford] did was done by way of defending herself or whether she was acting out of anger and being the aggressor".

Crown prosecutor Paula Carter told the court in her opening that Ford and Mr Marshall had been in a "volatile" relationship for three to four months when they started drinking at a friend's Orewa home in January, last year.

"Both had issues with alcohol. It was a relationship marked by physical and verbal abuse with Ms Ford giving as good as she got," Ms Carter said.

Ms Carter said following the fight witnessed by Mr Turner, Ford went into the kitchen and got a knife.

"She stabbed Mr Marshall so hard that the knife went into his chest to the full length, right up to the handle."

Marshall stumbled into the lounge room where he collapsed and died. Ford told ambulance call centre staff that Mr Marshall had stabbed himself.

A jury of six men and six women will hear the case and will hear evidence from 39 witnesses.