Man accused of murdering childhood friend ‘didn’t care’ about his disappearance, court told

A man accused of murdering missing carpenter Michael McGrath said he didn’t care a jot that McGrath had disappeared, the High Court has heard.

David Charles Benbow, 54, is on trial in Christchurch for murdering his childhood friend McGrath, 49, on May 22, 2017.

It’s alleged he shot McGrath after inviting him to his house at Candys Ave, Halswell, to help with shifting railway sleepers. The weapon and McGrath’s body have never been found.

Pamela Barnes, who knew Benbow through Neighbourhood Watch barbecues and contact with his children, said Benbow had popped in after police had finished their search of his property.

READ MORE:
* Murder accused said to be ranting and angry about McGrath, ex-partner
* David Benbow’s ex-partner’s 111 call: ‘I am thinking he’s hurt Mike’
* Mother of Michael McGrath tells jury his alleged killer David Benbow would ‘call me mum’

He had visited quite often to see her and her husband Andy, and she was struck by the fact he didn’t seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation.

“He was flat, considering the situation – he was the leading suspect … it didn’t seem like a major life issue. He was just matter of fact. He didn’t say he didn’t do it. It was just not the expected reaction.”

Her husband had suggested he must be quite worried about McGrath, given they were old friends.

Benbow, she said, became quite animated and shouted: “I don’t give a f… about him. It just teaches you not to introduce your partner to another man.”

It was a burst of emotion that was in contrast to his previous demeanour.

Benbow had talked to them about being questioned by police and said he could see why people just confessed, Barnes said.

“He said they were pretty relentless.”

She and her husband had asked why police were searching his septic tank.

That was because, he said, Benbow’s former partner Joanna Green had told police about an argument they had in which he said he would cut her into pieces and put them in the septic tank if she had an affair with another man.

Benbow had also said he told Green he would bury her in her car and nobody would ever find her, Barnes said.

In cross-examination by defence counsel Kirsten Gray, Barnes said she started paying particular attention to what Benbow was saying after he became a suspect.

She had told police if he said anything they should know about, she would relay the information.

Andy Barnes told the court Benbow was a bit unhappy with police for leaving a mess behind after their search of his property. Police searched the loft of his garage and did not put all the roof insulation back. He said he had told police he kept his gun on a couple of nails in a hatch in the garage.

Benbow had told him police were not going to solve the case “if they are looking at me”. At one stage he told him “even my sister thinks I’m guilty”.

Barnes said he had suggested the Corrections service to Benbow as a new career because Benbow wanted a change from his 70-hour weeks and being on-call all the time.

The trial continues.