A West Auckland transient was strangled to death and dumped in the Waitakere Ranges because he was "annoying," according to the man charged with his murder.
Justin Dyne's body was found last November along the Taumata walking track in the Henderson Valley, four months after he disappeared from the Tui Glen
Motor Camp.
A $50,000 reward posted by police led to the arrest of former motor camp resident Tristan Rex Lawson last December. Lawson admitted during a videotaped interview to having strangled the 25-year-old sickness beneficiary.
During the interview, which was played yesterday at a depositions hearing in the Waitakere District Court, Lawson described having strangled Mr Dyne with a piece of electrical cord.
Lawson, aged 22, met Mr Dyne at the motor camp last June and often took drugs with him.
But Mr Dyne allegedly used to point knives at Lawson, forcing him to grab the blade to pull it away.
"He used to come around and annoy us so much ... and we just got sick of it," Lawson told Detective Sergeant Sean Midgley.
A plan was hatched between Lawson and another man - who has interim name suppression - to lure Mr Dyne to a secluded car park, where they would kill him. On July 25, Mr Dyne was picked up by the pair and driven to a car park off Opanuku Rd, where they promised to give him morphine.
But Mr Dyne, sitting in the front passenger seat, was instead injected with the muscle relaxant rivotril, which, Lawson said, they hoped would kill him.
"The rivotril was meant to do it but then, in case that it didn't, it was at least supposed to get him knocked out," Lawson explained during the interview.
"The plan had been if the rivotril didn't kill him then I would reach over the seat with the cord."
Mr Dyne remained conscious so Lawson opted for the back-up plan.
The pair then dragged Mr Dyne about 30m down a grass track, where his body was covered with ferns, Lawson said.
The court also heard that Lawson and his friend then stole Mr Dyne's wallet and watch, and tried to withdraw money using his cashflow card.
But Detective Sergeant Midgley questioned whether Lawson was telling the complete truth as bank records did not support that version of events.
The depositions hearing, to decide whether Lawson will stand trial for murder, was adjourned until next month.
