A Gold Coast woman had a bizarre backyard encounter with two men believed to be armed robbers, moments before one shot a police dog handler in the face, a court has heard.
Katherine Brown went into her backyard area for a cigarette after a night on the town in September 2013 to find a man walking towards her.
She said they had a conversation about police and being in "a bit of trouble", before a second man then stood up in the pool area.
"I said, 'are you OK? Do you need some help?' and they fled," she told the Brisbane Supreme Court.
She later found strange items around the property, including a stocking that wasn't hers hanging from her clotheshorse.
Ms Brown was a witness in the attempted murder trial of Labrador man Robert George Speedy.
Speedy, 49, shot dog handler Sergeant Gary Hamrey in the face during a stand-off in the yard of a Parkwood home, just after Ms Brown's encounter.
The jury has heard he and accomplice Jake Watson were cornered behind a garden shed after they held up the Arundel Tavern and stole $40,000 from the safe.
Police tracked them through parkland and backyards using the "Find My Phone" app on a mobile stolen from the tavern.
Speedy has pleaded guilty to armed robbery and committing a malicious act with intent, but not guilty to attempted murder.
Sgt Hamrey survived the shooting and is due to testify when the trial resumes on Thursday.
