Murder accused 'sold sex to survive'

An aunt of murder accused Phillip Layton Edwards says he prostituted himself to men to survive while living on the street.

Edwards is on trial in the High Court at Auckland, accused of murdering interior designer David McNee at his home in St Mary's Bay on July 20 last year.

Shona Samuels said yesterday that Edwards, her nephew, preferred women but would "go with a man to get money or to help him to survive". Ms Samuels said she had never asked Edwards what he did with the men for money.

The jury has heard that Mr McNee used to cruise red-light districts looking for rent boys.

Ms Samuels said she visited Edwards in prison last year to ask him about the killing. He told her Mr McNee picked him up in town and was giving him a lift.

"When he got in the car David McNee told him that he smelled so offered to take Phillip home for a shower.

"All he said to me was they [Edwards and Mr McNee] were drinking."

Ms Samuels said she wanted to know if Edwards knew Mr McNee was dead when he left the house. "He said yes and he'd wrapped [Mr McNee] in a blanket because he was looking at him."

Edwards believed he had been caught on a security camera leaving the Hackett St address.

In the final part of a five-hour police interview played to the jury yesterday, Edwards admitted to the killing.

"He thought I was gay so I killed him," he said. "I had a fight with him. Told him I'm not gay. I beat him up with my hands ... blood started coming out of his face and then I killed him with my hands."

The jury also heard that Edwards had been involved in a relationship with a transsexual named Chrissy for about eight months in 2001.

In evidence read to the court, the former partner said they lived together in Manukau Heights and Tokoroa.