Murder-accused had different answers to whether he ‘did it’

The man accused of murdering Christchurch carpenter Michael McGrath gave a friend different answers when asked if he had killed him.

David Charles Benbow, 54, is on trial in the High Court 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. McGrath and Benbow’s former partner Joanne Green had started a relationship to which Benbow had been alerted by his daughter seeing Green and McGrath kissing.

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Lyn-Marie Borlase, a registered nurse who knew Benbow since childhood, said she supported him while he was under investigation and on one occasion she asked Benbow if he had murdered McGrath.

He had said nothing and “just had his head down”, Borlase said.

She had invited Benbow for dinner about once a week and asked him if he had killed McGrath a second time.

Benbow became very angry and said “do you think I put a tarpaulin on the ground and told him to stand there and then shot him?

“I said ‘did you’? Benbow had not replied.

In other evidence Benbow childhood friend Rua Pomare said he had also asked Benbow if he had killed McGrath when they met up at Queen’s Birthday weekend in 2017.

He asked him straight out and Benbow replied he hadn’t killed McGrath and police were barking up the wrong tree.

Pomare’s statement was read to the court as he is deceased.

The trial continues.