A Melbourne man accused of murdering his neighbour over a barking dog hatched a plan to place an inflatable kangaroo on the road to send his neighbour's car swerving into a gum tree.
Joseph Drago, 69, is charged with murdering Anthony Richard Dockerty, by running the 63-year-old over with his car, ending a dispute that began over Mr Dockerty's rowdy dog.
But before Mr Dockerty's death, Drago had contemplated a series of bizarre revenge plots that ranged from setting a possum loose in his roof to murder, a court has heard.
Police found an "action plan" of sabotage plots against Mr Dockerty on Drago's computer, including a plan to put an inflatable kangaroo on the road at night in the hope of causing Mr Dockerty to crash.
"Hopefully crashing into a big gum tree," the retired civil engineer wrote on his computer.
He also contemplated lifting a section of the roof to put an angry possum in Mr Dockerty's house and blocking his downpipes to trigger a flood.
During a bail application in the Victorian Supreme Court, Drago's barrister Constantine Helliotis QC said while the initial feud between the Balwyn North neighbours was over a barking dog, it escalated in an ongoing tit-for-tat conflict.
He said Drago never carried out any of the plots in his action plan.
"It's clearly a man who had retired having too much time on his hands," he said.
Mr Helliotis argued Drago's depression and a 14-month wait for a trial were grounds for his release.
But prosecutor Andrew Tinney SC said the "vindictive and bizarre" ramblings on Drago's computer proved he was a danger to the community.
"This indicates a person who had developed a very powerful grievance toward the person who ended up dying," he said.
"What's to say he might not form a set against another person?"
Drago had driven to the Thornbury factory where Mr Dockerty worked on December 2, 2013 to take photos of his neighbour.
The pair had an altercation before Drago climbed into his car, while Mr Dockerty stood in front of the vehicle to block his escape.
CCTV footage played in court captures Drago accelerating over Mr Dockerty, dragging him under his car some 116 metres down the road.
Justice Paul Coghlan adjourned the application to allow further psychological testing on Drago.
