The four-day trial came to a close with Mr Azzopardi displaying no emotion as the verdict was read out.

The victim, Shayne Evans, who had been sitting in the public gallery of the courtroom for the duration of the trial, smiled broadly as Mr Azzopardi was led away by Corrective Services officers.

During the trial, the court heard that at 7pm on March 23 last year, Mr Evans had been involved in an argument with Phillip Lihou, who lived across the road from his Leavers Street home at the time.

"Phillip Lihou came to see me that night and he was ranting and raving, yelling that I was a rock spider and that I'd touched his girls," Mr Evans said during his testimony.

"I told him to get his facts straight and I slammed the door."

Mr Lihou and his next door neighbour Mr Azzopardi then drove to Dubbo police station to make inquiries about apprehended violence orders (AVO) they had both taken out against Mr Evans.

Police told the men the AVOs had been revoked.

The victim also drove to the station after his argument with Mr Lihou to make a statement.

Mr Evans told the court he returned home from the station about 8.50pm.

"I hopped out of the car and wound up the driver's side window when I heard a loud bang behind the car," he said.

"I spun around and I seen Victor Azzopardi standing there.

"He said to me 'you're a f...ing rock spider, you've touched your last boy or girl' and I said ‘what the bloody hell's going on here?'"

Mr Evans was then stabbed twice during the incident, once in the thigh and once in the elbow as he put his arm up to ward off the blows from the weapon, which was described as a "square metal bar with a point" but has never been found.

Mr Azzopardi was the only person called to give evidence for the defence during the trial and denied being involved in stabbing Mr Evans.

"No, I don't speak to Evans for months - not since court, I don't talk to him at all," he said.

"I know nothing about what you're talking about. I didn't stab nobody."

The court also heard Mr Azzopardi stayed with friends the night of the incident and drove to Bourke for a week the following day.

"Sharon told me I needed to stay away," Mr Azzopardi said, referring to his de facto partner. After the guilty verdict was read out, defence barrister William Walsh made an application for bail for his client.

"Granting bail could assist the offender in preparing for the sentencing procedure," he said.

Judge Robert Woods refused bail and remanded Mr Azzopardi in custody until his sentencing in March.