Murder accused 'knew he was in trouble'

A loud noise emanating from Malcolm Robert Potts' unit in the early hours awoke his neighbour, but she wasn't alarmed.

She just thought it was Malcolm "doing crazy things in his apartment", a Sydney jury has been told.

However, at about midday on Sunday September 14, 2008, police broke down his door to find Potts holding two knives by his side.

The body of Kings Cross sex worker Emma King was found lying naked under the bed at his Ashfield unit in Sydney's inner west with two severe stab wounds to her back.

Potts has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to the murder of Ms King.

On Thursday, police officers gave evidence that when they forced their way into the unit they found Potts, 42, more concerned about his door than his impending arrest.

According to their statement he said: "Why did you break down my door? Who's going to fix that now?"

Asked why he had not opened the door sooner, he replied: "I knew you were coming, I knew I was in trouble, I saw you out the front."

It is alleged blood stains on the carpet indicate Potts dragged Ms King across the lounge room, before stripping her naked and hiding her body under the bed.

He tried to paint over some of the blood stains with white paint, the court has been told.

Laura Cahyadi, one of Pott's neighbour, said that at about 4am (AEST) on the Sunday she was awoken by a sudden noise believing to have come from his unit.

Ms Cahyadi told the court the noise lasted for about a minute or two.

"I thought Malcolm had collapsed doing crazy things in his apartment," she said.

Ms Cahyadi said she would often hear him playing loud rap music whenever he was home and the rumbling of his washing machine every second night.

Crown prosecutor Terry Thorpe told the jury on Tuesday (March 9) that shortly after 4.30am on the Sunday, a male friend of Ms King's received a text message asking him to come and pick her up.

"He will tell you he went to Margaret Street, Ashfield, but was unable to find any address being number 24," Mr Thorpe said.

"There will be no dispute that the street only goes up to number 12."

Friends of Ms King began frantically door knocking along the street to no avail.

However, while waiting outside the apartment block at number 12 a friend had seen a face "peeping out of the window".

Ms King's disappearance was reported to police who arrived at his premises about midday.

On being taken into custody, Potts allegedly told police he suffered schizophrenia and was on medication for the illness.

The trial before Justice David Kirby is continuing.