Sydney mum saw son hacked to death - court

The mother of a man hacked to death with meat cleavers during a violent home invasion pleaded with his murderers to kill her instead, a Sydney jury has been told.

Four members of a gang, The United Brotherhood, broke into Kesley Burgess' home at Lurnea in southwest Sydney on July 1, 2010, attacking him with meat cleavers, the Supreme Court heard today.

Mahdi Mir, 22, Mohammad Karimi, 25, and John Khoury, 32, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Burgess, as well as several other charges including armed robbery.

The crown alleges Mir was one of four men who entered the Burgess home, while Karimi waited outside.

It alleges Khoury helped plan the attack and supplied weapons, making him part of a joint criminal enterprise to carry out home invasions.

The jury was told that other men involved in the attack have pleaded guilty and some will give evidence at the trial.

Crown prosecutor Ken McKay said in his opening address the United Brotherhood had carried out a number of home invasions in an attempt to "shut down what they believed were drug dealers and take over the territory".

The court heard Kesley Burgess grabbed a "sword-like object" after the men forced their way into his home.

The men were demanding drugs and money, threatening to kill Mr Burgess's mother, Tracey Burgess, Mr McKay said.

"Persons in the group started swinging their meat cleavers at Kesley Burgess," Mr McKay said, adding the crown would allege Mir was one of them.

"I anticipate you will hear evidence that Kesley Burgess was pleading he had nothing, he had some drugs and that was all he had."

Tracey Burgess then saw her son lying under the coffee table with three of the men using their weapons on him.

"She herself pleaded with them to kill her," Mr McKay said.

The men left after Tracey Burgess threw a tin containing some cannabis at them, the court heard.

Mr Burgess died later in hospital after suffering severe wounds, with one of his wrists almost severed, and blood loss.

The trial continues before Justice Peter Johnson.