Denver Chance murder trial: Alleged killer's beers with mates show callousness, Crown says

Denver Chance disappeared in February 2019 and was found dead the next month. Photo / Supplied

Jay Lingman had a vibrant social life in the days after shooting Denver Chance dead.

There were trips to restaurants, a night at a SkyCity hotel after a date arranged on a sugar daddy website, and an evening at an Eden Park corporate box.

But Lingman today told a murder trial he really wasn't having many good times or enjoying these excursions after Chance died.

The details were outlined at the High Court in Auckland, where Lingman has pleaded not guilty to murder and gave evidence in his own defence.

Chance was killed on February 24, 2019. Police found his body the next month in a chest freezer on Lingman's property in Kingseat, South Auckland.

Jurors heard multiple witnesses describe Lingman's demeanour as calm, even charismatic in the days after Chance was killed.

Jay Christopher Lingman has denied murder and claimed he shot Chance in self-defence. File photo / RNZ

"Most of my friends are successful business owners, CEOs of companies. I can't tell them what happened," Lingman told prosecutor Gareth Kayes today.

Lingman said he had to put up a front, and insisted he planned to resolve the problem once his partner returned from the United Kingdom in March.

The problem was that Chance was dead, inside a chest freezer on Lingman's property.

Lingman said he was desperate to get out of the Kingseat house.

"I didn't want to be alone. I just wanted to be around some of my close friends."

The murder-accused dad told Kayes he had to keep his secret.

The defence has said Lingman placing Chance in a freezer preserved evidence.

But Kayes today said Lingman was slow to clean up the Kingseat property after shooting Chance.

Nine days after Chance was killed, Lingman had a friend help move the freezer.

The following day, he waterblasted the property.

Kayes suggested the clean-up would be too hard, or Lingman realised he was going to get caught regardless.

Denver Chance. The search for him in 2019 led to the arrest of Jay Lingman and the ongoing murder trial at the High Court. Photo / Supplied

"It wasn't a clean-up, Mr Kayes."

"You just decided to try and hold off the inevitable as long as possible," Kayes said.

The prosecutor said Lingman was indifferent to Chance's death because he had intended to murder Chance.

Lingman rejected that.

Kayes told Lingman he chose to keep Chance's death secret so he could enjoy having beers with friends, take part in other outings, and continue dealing cocaine.

Lingman said all these suggestions were incorrect.

The prosecutor asked Lingman if he enjoyed the social occasions such as the trip to action sports event Nitro Circus.

"I wasn't having a good time, Mr Kayes," Lingman replied.

Kayes said Lingman mulled over his options and decided to conjure up a self-defence fantasy.

"It was self-defence," Lingman replied.

Cross-examination then ended and the defence closed its case.

NINJA, SHOTGUN BOOKS

Defence counsel Steven Lack read a series of agreed facts relating to e-books found on Denver Chance's computer.

The books included "Knife-throwing techniques of the Ninja" and titles about pistol training and hidden weapons.

Another one was about tactical shotguns for self-defence.

The defence has argued Chance was a cocaine supplier who turned up at Lingman's Kingseat property in a rage over a perceived betrayal.

Lingman said Chance picked up a shotgun at the Kingseat property and pointed it at him.

The trial continues.