The credibility of a witness who allegedly took a murder confession has been the focus of the closing arguments in the trial of Neil Swain.
The case was "characterised by its simplicity", Crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk told the jury during his closing address this morning, the start of the fourth week of the trial in the High Court at Palmerston North.
Swain is accused of shooting Whetu Hansen about five times during an argument in November 2013, storing his body for 10 days, then sealing it in a 44-gallon drum and dumping it in the Whanganui River.
Mr Vanderkolk said Swain had told various versions of events to many different people which were the actions of a murderer under pressure.
"It's an outright devious fabrication. It's lie upon lie..."
But the account of a witness who said Swain confessed the murder to him could be taken as accurate because the witness was one of the few Swain trusted.
Mr Vanderkolk said Swain had tried to manufacture doubt around his involvement with the murder.
"You don't have to create doubt if your are innocent. If you are innocent the doubt will be obvious."
Swain's attempt to clean to the scene and dispose of Hansen's body were not the actions of an innocent man.
"Any step taken to disturb the scene is inconsistent with innocence."
Defence lawyer Steve Winter said the only thing the Crown had proved was that Swain was an accessory after the fact.
"That is what the Police and the Crown have proved Mr Swain is and no more," he said.
"It does not make sense for Neil Swain to have shot Whetu Hansen. There is not one piece of credible evidence to explain how that could happen."
Mr Winter said it was wrong to assume only Mr Hansen's killer would want to clean up the scene and dispose of evidence.
The jury have been told of Swain criminal history including bombing a police station.
"This is a man who cannot and would not call the authorities when such an event happened at his property."
He said the witness who allegedly heard Swain confession had changed his story several times to suit himself.
The defence closing address continues this afternoon.