Mark Lundy retrial: Travel disputed by expert

Mark Lundy.

More than 400km unaccounted for in days before murders of his wife and daughter, says police analyst.

A police expert is defending her analysis of the distances Mark Lundy travelled in the days before his wife and daughter were murdered in their Palmerston North home.

Christine Lundy, 38, and her 7-year-old daughter Amber were found bludgeoned to death by a tomahawk or similar weapon on August 30, 2000.

The Crown has alleged Lundy drove in his Ford Fairmont EL to Palmerston North from Petone, Lower Hutt, in the early hours of that morning to commit the crimes, which he denies.

In the High Court at Wellington yesterday, police intelligence analyst Mary Ellwood said more than 400km of travel in Lundy's car was unaccounted for in the days before the murders.

Between August 21 and August 30 Lundy travelled 1270km.

But based on information Lundy gave about where he had travelled, Ms Ellwood said he travelled 847km - 423km short of the actual distance travelled.

During that period there were days including weekends, where there was unknown travel, she said.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Julie-Anne Kincade said the unknown travel could have been made up of a mechanic driving the vehicle for up to 15km, weekend travel and social reasons.

There was also unknown travel around New Plymouth, where he went on a business trip.

Ms Ellwood accepted her analysis was based on routes that were shorter than Lundy could have driven.

Ms Kincade said the unknown travel time was "meaningless", but Ms Ellwood disputed that, saying the distance of unknown travel was significant.

On the day his car was seized, Lundy received a call on his cellphone that placed him on the Johnsonville motorway.

He arrived at Palmerston North nearly an hour and a half later, when his car was seized.

Ms Ellwood said his car's fuel tank was almost empty and she calculated he had been driving an average of 100.48km/h between the two locations.

The court also heard evidence from Courtesy Ford employee Gareth Townend who said it was "extremely difficult", but not impossible to siphon petrol from the type of vehicle Lundy drove.

Ms Kincade said Lundy had claimed petrol could have been siphoned from the vehicle on the night of the murders.