Two Thai men who left a Melbourne chef lying in a pool of blood after a fight knew the man had died but fled to Thailand anyway, the Victorian Supreme Court has heard.
Witness Terapat Tepsut said he and two men on trial for the murder of Luke Mitchell, Thatiya Terdputham, 40, and Sarud Seehaverachart, 32, heard on the news the 29-year-old had died in hospital on the morning of May 24, 2009.
Within hours, he and Terdputham boarded a flight to Thailand, he said, and Seehaverachart was expected to follow.
Mr Tepsut said he and Terdputham arrived at Melbourne Airport late on the morning of May 24, paid cash for tickets to Thailand and left that afternoon.
He had previously told the court Terdputham and Seehaverachart had "beaten up" Mr Mitchell in a convenience store car park early that morning.
He said he saw Mr Mitchell lying on the ground with blood all around him before the three of them got into their car and left.
They didn't discuss what had happened in the car as they were in shock, but later had a conversation about returning to Thailand, Mr Tepsut told the court.
"We rang each other and said we were going back to Thailand," Mr Tepsut said.
Terdputham and Seehaverachart have pleaded not guilty to murder.
Mr Tepsut was arrested in relation to the death of Mr Mitchell in July last year, four years after Terdputham and Seehaverachart were taken into custody, the court heard.
Under questioning from defence barrister John Saunders, Mr Tepsut said he didn't know the police were looking for him for the four years between the accused men's arrest and his.
He said he was living in Thailand in a house in his name and didn't know why he wasn't arrested earlier, or why police didn't come to his home.
He said he didn't know if he was listed in the phone book.
The trial continues before Justice Christopher Beale.
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