The man Steven Neville is accused of killing died of a stab wound to the head, the province's chief medical examiner testified Wednesday.

Neville, 22, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Doug Flynn, 19, and the attempted murder of Ryan Dwyer, 20, on Oct. 9, 2010.

Dr. Simon Avis said that while Flynn was stabbed several times, the wound to the head was what killed him.

Avis said the blade went through the temporal bone, severing an artery and causing a stroke when blood flow was cut off to a part of his brain.

Avis said the wound to Flynn's temple was deliberate, adding he's never seen an accidental wound to the skull.

So far, Neville's lawyer has claimed his client killed Flynn in self-defence and that Neville was the target of an attack.

Former best friend's account

A former best friend of Neville's also testified Wednesday that during a phone conversation on the day of the incident he told her he thought he killed Flynn.

The woman told the court that Neville, Flynn and Dwyer were having a dispute over money.

She also testified that one night Flynn and another man followed her and Neville in a car. When she pulled over, said the woman, Flynn and the other man tried to get Neville out of the vehicle.

She believed one of the men had brass knuckles and the other had a bat.

"[Neville] didn't want to get out and fight," said the woman. "It was two against one."

To get away, she said she drove through Mount Pearl, running red lights and not stopping until they reached Logy Bay.

They eventually lost Flynn and the other man, but only after Neville called the police.

The trial is expected to last another month.