Court hears accused killer Leanne Prak 'licked bloody knife' after stabbing man in chest

Leanne Prak has gone on trial for the murder of 65-year-old Michael McEvoy. Photo / via Nine News

An Adelaide woman "bizarrely" licked the bloodied knife she used to stab a man in the chest, a court has heard.

Leanne Prak has gone on trial for the murder of 65-year-old Michael McEvoy at a unit at suburban Holden Hill in May last year.

She has pleaded not guilty to murder but has admitted to the lesser offence of manslaughter, an admission not accepted by the Crown.

Opening the trial in the Supreme Court on Monday, prosecutor Chris Edge told the jury that Prak, who was an alcoholic, was drunk at the time of the attack which came during a "yelling match" between her and Mr McEvoy.

At one stage Prak picked up a kitchen knife and lunged towards the victim, stabbing him through the heart.

He collapsed and it was then, Mr Edge said a witness to the killing would tell the jury that Prak did something they might think was "fairly bizarre".

"It appears she licked the blade of that bloodied knife," the prosecutor said. Mr Edge said scientific evidence would back up that proposition with Prak's saliva found on the blade along with the blood of Mr McEvoy. He said the 41-year-old woman went on to stab the victim seven more times in the back, with some of those wounds also penetrating his chest.

He died from a combination of the stab wounds and their effects on his heart and lungs, the court heard.

The jury was also told that in view of her pleas, it would not be in dispute that Prak inflicted the wounds.

Justice David Peek said the woman had admitted she was guilty of the elements of manslaughter.

Justice Peek said what the prosecution had to prove to sustain a charge of murder was Prak's level of criminal intent at the time and her state of mind.