Mark Lundy retrial: Prosecution expected to conclude

Mark Lundy in the dock. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Video footage of Mark Lundy's interviews with police will remain the focus of his double-murder trial today.

The prosecution case is expected to finish in the High Court at Wellington today before the defence case continues.

Defence witness evidence has been dotted through the trial, now in its seventh week, due to the overseas-based witnesses' availability.

Lundy, 56, has denied killing his wife Christine, 38, and 7-year-old daughter Amber in the early hours of August 30, 2000, in their Palmerston North home.

Yesterday, the jury of seven men and five women were shown the start of a formal police interview with Lundy, taken on February 23, 2001.

During the interview with Detective Inspector Stephen Kelly, Lundy took numerous deep breaths.

Mr Kelly told Lundy the investigation had mostly been completed.

The jury also saw a videoed interview of Lundy, again by Mr Kelly, which was taken two weeks after the murders.

He said his only theory about why his family was killed was because of a "burglary gone wrong".

He also spoke of a loving marriage and denied he and his wife were on the verge of separation.

Lundy told Mr Kelly he was under the impression his wife's new life insurance policy had been increased a payout to $500,000.

Earlier in the trial the court was told the policy had not come into effect by the time of the deaths and the amount was $205,000.

Mr Kelly told the court Lundy had contacted him in February 2001 and, unprompted, spoke about petrol thefts from outside motels.

The jury trial in front of Justice Simon France continues.