Jury told accused used a 'Razor' scooter to kill axe-wielding man

Mon 6 Jul 2026 at 4:28pm

Mon 6 Jul 2026 at 4:28pm

In short:

Kane Flanders, 32, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ash Morgan at Raymond Terrace, north of Newcastle.

A jury has been told Mr Flanders allegedly threatened to chop the victim up using a Razor-branded scooter.

What's next?

The trial is due to run up to five weeks.

A Supreme Court jury has been told a Razor-branded scooter was the murder weapon in a violent clash involving an axe-wielding man north of Newcastle.

Kane Flanders, 32, has pleaded not guilty to murdering 38-year-old Ash Morgan at Raymond Terrace during a street brawl in the early hours of April 9, 2024.

Emergency services were called to Cambridge Avenue about 2am, following reports a man had been found with serious head injuries.

'Gonna get chopped'

In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Brendan Queenan told the court Mr Morgan went to the address armed with an axe.

The jury heard the alleged victim was angry about people taking his phone and drugs.

"Mr Morgan was smashing a letterbox and there were smashing sounds," Mr Queenan said.

"There was yelling and people saying be quiet and one voice was Kane Flanders."

Mr Queenan said a witness would tell the jury Mr Flanders challenged Mr Morgan.

"He asked, 'What have you got on ya? Have you got a f***ing pole on ya or something?'"

The prosecutor said at that point Mr Flanders asked the witness for assistance.

"Hurry up bro. Get me that little machete … this [guy] is gonna get chopped," Mr Flanders allegedly said.

Mr Queenan told the court the accused said, "I am going to take this f***ing guy's head off".

He said the altercation spanned several minutes and was caught on CCTV and filmed on a mobile phone.

Alleged threat to kill

Mr Queenan said as Mr Morgan walked away, a witness handed Kane Flanders a Razor-branded scooter.

He said witnesses heard heavy noises before telling Mr Flanders to get off Mr Morgan.

Mr Queenan said Mr Flanders only left after a man repeatedly said, "Kane that is enough".

He also described the scene that confronted police when they arrived.

"Ash Morgan was lying in the middle of the road," Mr Queenan said.

"[A woman was] lying on top of him crying and screaming."

"[The officer] saw a timber-handled axe on the road at Ashley Morgan's feet."

Mr Queenan told jurors Mr Flanders spoke to police at the scene.

"The accused said he had an axe, he come at me, he clobbered me with an axe," the prosecutor said.

The jury was told a witness would give evidence that Mr Flanders swung the scooter after Mr Morgan ran at him swinging the axe.

Self-defence issue

Defence barrister Stuart Boeving did not make an opening address, but Justice Des Fagan told jurors "self-defence may be important in this trial".

The judge said that would leave the jury open to returning a verdict of manslaughter.

The trial is set to run up to five weeks.

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