A 33-year-old Hamilton man was taken to John Hunter Hospital where he was treated for facial injuries.
He was then taken to Newcastle Police Station where he was later charged with murder.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on April 21.
Hamilton resident Krystyan Nowak, whose house backs onto the home where the alleged break-in took place, said he was in bed when he heard "a very violent noise".
"I was actually awake because there was light coming into my room (from the house), which doesn't usually happen, and there was this strange banging noise and a crashing sound and then what might have been breaking glass," he said.
But Mr Nowak only learnt what allegedly happened after detectives came knocking at his door the following day.
He said he had little to do with his rear neighbours but believed the house, which is in a poor state of repair, was set to be renovated soon.
Another nearby resident said they didn't hear anything unusual that night.
"You do get a fair bit of noise some nights because you get the kids
coming and going from the pub down the road, but there was nothing at all on Friday night," he said.
The incident occurred less than 100m from one of the cosmopolitan hearts of Newcastle, in one of the city's most coveted neighbourhoods. Cleary St intersects with Beaumont St, a strip popular for its late-night restaurants and pubs.
However, most places closed early on Friday night because it was Good Friday.
- news.com.au
