SA man dies during murder trial

A man on trial for the stabbing murder of his former partner's son in Adelaide has died in custody, the Supreme Court has been told.

Tony Lanzafame, 53, was charged over the murder of Andrew Tilbrook, 26, who suffered a single stab wound to the chest during a fight in December 2014.

On Tuesday the court was told that Lanzafame had died and that prosecutors would formally end proceedings once a death certificate was issued.

The jury in the case was discharged and a directions hearing was set for August 24.

Police confirmed Lanzafame was found dead in the Adelaide Remand Centre and there were no suspicious circumstances.

They said the matter would be treated as a death in custody, with a report prepared for the coroner.

At the start of the trial, earlier this month, the court was told that Lanzafame accepted that he killed Mr Tilbrook with the key question being whether his actions amounted to murder or a lesser offence.

The jury heard that Lanzafame had been involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Mr Tilbrook's mother.

Before the alleged murder he had spent a drunken day at the beach and later argued with his former partner, their dispute spilling out into the street.

Lanzafame and Mr Tilbrook then became abusive to each other before Lanzafame grabbed a knife and stabbed his victim.

A Department of Correctional Services spokesman said any unnatural death in custody was unacceptable and condolences had been extended to the man's family.

"Regrettably, despite the vigilance and dedication of staff and the availability of medical and psychological services, unnatural deaths in custody, while rare, do occur in every prison jurisdiction," he said.