John told the jury he made contact with Barlow in Tauranga last October, telling him he understood he had a problem "down in Invercargill" he needed fixing.
He arranged to meet Barlow at the McDonald's carpark in Huntly some days later.
Before they met his car was wired so Barlow could be videoed and his words recorded.
Those recordings were played to the jury.
In Huntly, John asked what the problem was Barlow needed help with.
"I said you tell me what it is you want done and who you want it done to."
Barlow replied: "I need them roughed up a bit, I need them to go. I want these people out of my life totally, gone."
John queried whether he wanted both of them killed.
"He confirmed they were his parents."
John asked for a $10,000 fee, with $2000 up front to cover expenses. Barlow claimed not to have $2000 available but agreed to talk with him in a week.
Subsequent calls to Barlow went to voicemail and remained unanswered.
A distant relative of Barlow's, Daniel Ryder, a self-professed activist against Child Youth and Family, told the jury he was stunned when Barlow asked him to kill his parents or organise someone to do so.
He said Barlow hunted him down through a group Facebook page he belonged to.
Ryder said that when he first met up with Barlow he introduced himself as a security guard at Child Youth and Family, saying he could access files for him.
Barlow later gave him the names of those he said were running an unsafe "safe" house in Invercargill - Kevin and Noeleen Barlow. He said something needed to be done to organise their deaths and a fee of $150,000 was mentioned.
When Barlow asked to meet him face-to-face Mr Ryder said he became scared and rang the police.
Evidence given by the accused's mother, Diana Barlow, centred on the crumbling relationship between Barlow, her and his wheelchair-bound father.
She said she had unsuccessfully tried to have his name removed from the title of their Invercargill home and had loaned him $34,000 to pay debts.
