Dunedin doctor murder trial: Teen tells of cleaning knife used to kill Amber-Rose Rush

A Dunedin doctor charged with murdering Amber-Rose Rush celebrated and pumped his fist when he heard the 16-year-old was dead, the court has heard.

Dr Venod Skantha is on trial in the High Court at Dunedin charged with the murder of Amber-Rose Rush, who was stabbed in her bed at her Corstorphine home on February 2 last year.

A teenage associate of Skantha's has returned to the witness stand today. He is giving evidence from behind a screen.

The teenager said Skantha had asked him to drive his car to Amber-Rose's house the night she died - and had later admitted killing her in graphic detail.

He says he received several texts from friends after Amber-Rose's body was discovered - saying she had killed herself.

"Venod was saying things like 'I can believe it, she's dead!" "

"He seemed happy about it – he was smiling and acting like he'd won something," the teenager said.

Murder weapon cleaned, clothes burned

Earlier today the teen told the court he had helped Skantha with the clean-up after the teen's death- starting with the doctor's silver BMW.

"Venod had me clean down the car with a rag and some kind of detergent. I started on the passenger side, where Venod was sitting. [Then I] cleaned out the car door's side pocket – because I saw him put the knife in there."

Dr Venod Skantha on trial in the High Court at Dunedin for the murder of Amber-Rose Rush, 16.

The teen also recalled cleaning the knife in a kitchen sink.

"I held it under the water then put it back in the knife block. It was from a Briscoes set - one of the smaller ones."

Amber-Rose Rush, 16, was stabbed in her bed at her Corstorphine home on February 2 last year.

The youth says he then held a black rubbish bag out while Skantha put his blood-stained clothes inside.

A pair of charcoal-coloured suede dress shoes has been presented to the witness in court today - who identified them as belonging to Skantha.

He said that after lining the car boot with cardboard, they put the rubbish bag full of clothes and the shoes inside.

They then drove to Skantha's girlfriend's house in Balclutha.

"I was trying not to be sick at this point," the teenager said.

The bag - which he said also contained Amber-Rose's phone case and driver's licence - was burned in a bonfire the next day.

Yesterday he told the court he purposely left a spot of blood on Skantha's shoes while cleaning them, as a clue for police.