The contents of a Toyota Hilux, the weapon used to kill a young woman, and the work habits of her alleged killer have been examined in the High Court at New Plymouth this morning.
Himatangi firewood contractor Brent Cleverley described his former employee Michael Scott Wallace as "a
very good worker" who he had trusted with the regular use of his Toyota utility.
Wallace is accused of murdering German backapcker Birgit Brauer after picking her up as she hitchhiked between Wanganui and New Plymouth in September 2005.
He allegedly beat Miss Brauer about the head with an iron bar, then stabbed her through the heart, at Lucy's Gully, near New Plymouth.
Wallace denies the charge.
Mr Cleverley told Crown prosecutor Tim Brewer that Wallace had started working for him in March 2005, and by August of that year was lent the Hilux "as part of the arrangement I had with him".
Wallace's final day at work was August 19, 2005, and he had arrived at Mr Cleverley's home to collect his wages about 4pm.
He texted Mr Cleverley the following Monday, August 22, saying he was going away, but would be back "soon" with the utility.
Mr Cleverley said: "I trusted Mike very well."
He estimated he would have been away with the vehicle for "two or three days".
But after speaking with Wallace's mother the next day, Mr Cleverley came to the conclusion "he was not coming back".
He said Wallace had taken equipment out of the utility before leaving, but a crow bar and some cans of diesel were understood to have remained in the vehicle.
Mr Cleverley was also shown a metal bar kept in the Toyota that was used to operate a vehicle jack.
The bar was allegedly used to bludgeon Miss Brauer.
"I recognise a bar like that... it was used to wind the spare wheel at the back of the (Toyota Hilux) Surf," he told the court.
However, he later told defence counsel Patrick Mooney he was unsure if there was even such a bar in the vehicle at the time Wallace took off in it.
