Mark Lundy retrial: Closing address continues

Mark Lundy in the dock. Photo / NZ Herald / Mark Mitchell

The Crown will continue with its closing address in the Lundy double-murder trial today.

Mark Lundy, 56, has denied charges he killed his wife Christine and daughter Amber in their home in the early hours of August 30, 2000.

The trial, in front of a jury and Justice Simon France, is now in its seventh week and is expected to finish up next week.

Yesterday, Crown prosecutor Philip Morgan began his closing address to the jury of seven men and five women.

Mr Morgan told jurors that central nervous system tissue, or brain tissue, found on a polo shirt worn by Lundy on the night of the murder "demonstrates clearly and unequivocally that he was the killer".

"Mark Lundy has his wife Christine Lundy's brain on his shirt," Mr Morgan said. "No husband should have his wife's brain on his shirt, not after she's been murdered."

He also said there was no "real possibility" that this brain tissue would have come to be on Lundy's shirt as a result of contamination, as the defence had argued throughout the trial.

Mr Morgan told jurors there was a "substantial discrepancy" between how far Lundy said he had travelled and how far the car had actually gone.

This discrepancy was enough for him to have made the trip to Palmerston North and back in the early hours of August 30, 2000, Mr Morgan said.

Earlier yesterday, the defence made it's opening address in which defence lawyer David Hislop told jurors it was "impossible" for Lundy to have been able to murder his wife and daughter.

He also confirmed Lundy would not be taking the stand in his own defence.

Yesterday morning, the defence also called its final witness, private investigator and former police officer Tim McKinnel.

Mr McKinnel carried out a review of the work police did questioning residents near the Lundys' house following the murders.

Six defence witnesses had already been slotted in to give evidence throughout the trial due to scheduling issues.

Mr Morgan is expected to finish his closing address for the Crown later today, before Mr Hislop begins his closing address for the defence.

The trial continues