The jury in the murder trial of Dean Mulligan this morning watched the final forty minutes of Mulligan's first interview with police at Feilding Police Station, where he admitted to lying and omitting some details earlier in the three-hour discussion. Mulligan, 43, is on trial in the High Court at Wanganuifor the murder of Marice McGregor, whose body was found on May 13, 2010 in a ravine off State Highway 4, about 50km north of Wanganui. Mulligan has pleaded not guilty. Despite earlier denials, in the video interview Mulligan admitted seeing Ms McGregor on April 19, the day she was last seen publicly. He told Detective David Burmeister and Detective Chris Bensemann that the last text messages Ms McGregor sent on Monday afternoon, saying "sorry I'm late" and "I'm at Lismore", were meant for him, and she had arranged to meet him there. He initially told police that he did not show up, but then admitted to keeping the arrangement, and meeting Ms McGregor in the Lismore area, where she left her car before the pair started heading up the Parapara in his van. About 600m down the road she asked him if they could have some sexual "playing", but he told her no. Mulligan said the comment made him angry and he pulled over. The pair argued in the car and an upset Ms McGregor got out, saying she would walk back to her vehicle. Mulligan told police this was the last he saw of her. He said he left Ms McGregor at about 4:30, and he did not get home until 6:30. When asked what happened in the intervening time, Mulligan said he stopped in at the McDonald's drivethrough in Wanganui and got some food. Police put it to Mulligan that they could track his movements via telephone towers, and that they were "bugged" by one result - that Ms McGregor's phone was turned on twice in the vicinity of his home in Feilding on April 20. Mulligan denied having the phone or turning it on. Detective Chris Bensemann told Mulligan he was "looking at a person who is sweating". Mulligan repeatedly denied knowing where Ms McGregor was and said he believed she may have harmed herself. He told police he lied and omitted details before because "I've got a feeling that I've upset her and that she may have hurt herself and I'm feeling gulity about it." The trial continues this afternoon.
