<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A man who said he was acting in self-defence when another man was stabbed to death has been found not guilty of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/murder" rel="" target="" title=" murder"><span>murder</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victorian"><span>Victorian</span></a><span> Supreme Court jury returned its verdict for Rocky Russo, 35, shortly before midday on Thursday after four days of deliberations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The jurors also acquitted him on the lesser charge of manslaughter.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/brazil-argentina-president-jair-bolsonaro-javier-milei/f9edf684-8fa5-4e3b-891f-913f08e00094" target="_blank"><strong><span>Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russo went to Matthew Salau's home in Melbourne's southeast to stop him threatening a female friend over a $5000 debt, the jury was told at the start of the trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors alleged Russo brought a knife to the June 2024 confrontation and he murdered Salau by intentionally stabbing him to the chest and back.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russo argued he was not guilty of murder, that Salau was the one to produce the knife and he only stabbed the 30-year-old while defending himself.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/man-found-not-guilty-of-murdering-man-in-confrontation/58207feb-e10d-44e4-baef-213a46296baf" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The jury was told two days before the death, Salau went to the home of Russo's female friend, demanding $5000 he was owed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-throws-hammer-in-road-rage-in-malvern-east-melbourne/dfeb3878-059f-48e9-af4e-e5dc3a573581" target="_blank"><strong><span>Man throws hammer at woman's car in road rage incident in Melbourne</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He returned the next day with a large meat cleaver, once again making demands for the money and followed up the visit with a series of threatening texts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The woman told Russo about the demands, and he and another man went to Salau's Frankston home to confront him late on June 10, 2024.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors said during the altercation, which lasted four minutes and 21 seconds, Russo stabbed Salau with a knife to the chest and back.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the jury rejected the prosecution's claims, instead finding Russo not guilty of both murder and manslaughter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Salau's sister broke out into loud sobs after the verdicts were delivered on Thursday morning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After the jury left the room, Justice Amanda Fox confirmed Russo could leave the dock as he was no longer in custody.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He will walk free from the Supreme Court later on Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></a><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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