Jury out in Marice McGregor murder trial

Feilding man Dean Mulligan has been on trial for the murder of 45-year-old Marie McGregor. Photo / Stuart Munro

The jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of Dean Richard Mulligan, accused of murdering Wanganui beneficiary Marice McGregor.

The jury, in the High Court at Wanganui, was told by Crown prosecutor Lance Rowe today that the accused "has taken us all for fools, gullible and lacking in common sense".

Mulligan, 44, of Feilding, charged with murdering 45-year-old Ms McGregor, had concocted five different versions of events that led to her slaying on April 19 last year, Mr Rowe said.

Mulligan was alleged to have murdered Miss McGregor in a ravine off State Highway 4, 50km north of Wanganui, killing her with three blows to the head from an iron bar.

Stephen Ross, for Mulligan, likened the case to a quilt with loose threads.

"Pull one and the quilt begins to unravel."

The first thread of reasonable doubt was the suggestion that Mulligan danced around on rocks at the bottom of a steep ravine, and struck Miss McGregor with an iron bar.

This was ludicrous, he said. Mulligan was a one-legged man.

Mr Ross said the picture of Miss McGregor presented by the Crown was completely different from the one which the defence had painted -- of a manipulative woman who talked dirty and arranged sexual encounters on an internet dating site.

The jury retired to consider its verdict shortly after 3pm.

- NZPA