Five people have pleaded not guilty to murdering Bobby Medcraft, 23, who died in hospital after an altercation in a suburban street in the city of Burnie in the early hours of March 29, 2020.
A jury in the Supreme Court of Tasmania in Launceston was on Wednesday shown the sword allegedly used by 33-year-old Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan to chop Mr Medcraft on the leg.
Sheehan, Michael William Hanlon, 54, Geoffrey James Deverell, 37, and siblings Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, and Lucas Shane Ford, 31, have pleaded not guilty to murder.
It is alleged the group was involved in a violent bashing of Mr Medcraft "motivated by revenge", after a feud between two groups was sparked when a social media message was sent to the wrong person.
It is alleged all five accused are criminally responsible for Mr Medcraft's murder.
Constable Mark Johnston said the sword was found in a car at the scene.
"(It had) two skulls as part of the handle, doubled-edged. (It had) red-brown staining on the edge and appeared to be very sharp," he told the jury.
Senior Sergeant Mark Forteath, who photographed Mr Medcraft's clothes after his death, said they were very heavily blood stained.
During opening submissions on Tuesday, crown prosecutor Jack Shapiro said the blow with the sword severed a major artery in Mr Medcraft's leg and cut through cartilage.
He died from blood loss in hospital.
Sheehan's lawyer said the issue of self-defence would be relevant in the trial, which is expected to run for at least six weeks.
He said Mr Medcraft had earlier threatened to stab Lucas Ford, and Mr Medcraft and his friends had armed themselves with weapons.
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