KEY POINTS:
Lawyers for the crown and the defence made closing addresses to the jury in the murder trail of Shane Randle at the High Court in Wellington today.
Randle, 28, a bouncer at the bar where Wanganui woman Tania McKenzie worked as a barmaid, has pleaded not guilty to murdering and sexually violating her on her 20th birthday.
Ms McKenzie's naked and brutally beaten body was found floating in the Whanganui River on January 7, 2005.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Cameron told the court Randle's defence was based on a series of rank lies.
The crown alleges Randle, the last person seen with Ms McKenzie, killed her because she rejected his advances.
Randle told his girlfriend Ms McKenzie had been trying to "hit on him".
He was living with one woman and had another woman, Dana Perry, who he described as "a friend with extras" who visited him daily for sex.
He told the court Ms Perry knew her place, and "lived around" the situation.
Randle alleges Ms Perry killed Ms McKenzie.
There was no evidence whatsoever Ms McKenzie and Randle were intimate or contemplating intimacy, Mr Cameron said.
On January 6 Ms McKenzie, some staff and patrons stayed on at the Red Lion bar after it closed around midnight to celebrate her 20th birthday, which fell on January 7.
CCTV footage later showed Ms McKenzie walking down the street with Randle and the bar's duty manager. She showed no signs of being unduly intoxicated and was striding confidently, stepping into her 21st year, Mr Cameron said.
The group had a meal at a Wanganui takeaway bar, then were seen later at a service station.
The trio met up with two people who invited them to a party. The duty manager caught a taxi home and when testifying said he did not recall if Randle had told him he felt sick that night.
Randle said he vomited in a number of places and that was why after walking Ms McKenzie home so she could change her shoes, he left and went home .
Police found no residue of this and this was another rank lie, Mr Cameron said.
Ms McKenzie's flatmate testified she heard Ms McKenzie speak to a male when she came home, before hearing her go out again. It was the 3am, the flatmate was woken by the noise, and she was mistaken when she said she heard two voices, Mr Cameron said.
The next communication anyone had from her was a 111 call from her cellphone at 4.18am. Nobody spoke during the call, which lasted 27 seconds. Ms McKenzie's phone has never been found.
The degree of force used when Ms McKenzie's head was smashed was the equivalent of that from an aircraft crash or a high speed collision. These would have been delivered by a man, Mr Cameron siad.
Randle himself had injuries that indicated a struggle.
During the trial he said a scratch found on his chest was from Ms Perry, not from his dogs as he had told police.
No semen was found on Ms McKenzie. An expert witness told the court any trace material would have been washed away by the river.
Footprints from running shoes Randle was wearing were found at the riverbank scene and he admitted wearing those shoes that night. Ms McKenzie's blood was found on a towel at Randle's house and a probable blood sample was found in his washing machine, Mr Cameron said.
The crown says Randle washed his clothes when he got home after the murder.
There was no forensic evidence identifying Ms Perry at the murder scene, Mr Cameron said.
He said Randle constructed a motive that Ms Perry was a jealous, obsessed person.
Mr Cameron said Randle made admissions while under police surveillance, including saying "It's just me, little old me, psycho murderer", while feeding his dogs.
Randle's lawyer Greg King paid tribute to Ms McKenzie's family, saying he was "blown away" by how they had been able to sit through this trial without making a sound.
She was an undeserving victim and this was a complete and utter tragedy, he said.
He told the court Ms Perry murdered Ms McKenzie and that the crime was motivated by hate, rather than having a sexual motive.
Ms Perry had told people Ms McKenzie was obsessive towards Randle. On the night of the murder she felt left out as Ms McKenzie was getting Randle's attention as it was her birthday. Ms Perry had asked her sister for a pregnancy test as she believed she was carrying Randle's child.
Ms Perry was also a person of great interest to police, along with Randle, Mr King said.
She was not subject to any medical examination and neither her footwear nor her clothing were requested.
Mr King said Ms Perry sent text messages to Randle on the night of January 6 after she had left the pub in anger, showing intense emotion. There was a gap from 2.07am until 4.52am. Ms McKenzie's 111 call was made at 4.18am.
Mr King said there was no forensic evidence Randle was wearing a ring the crown alleges he used to inflict a bruise on Ms McKenzie's head.
"The crown is inviting you to go where no expert could go in this matter."
Ms McKenzie's flatmate's evidence was critical. She has consistently said she heard two other voices when Ms McKenzie came home, he said.
Randle made some "sick jokes" when under surveillance, due to the pressure he was under by police and by the town's rumour mill, Mr King said.
Tomorrow Justice Ronald Young will sum up the case.
- NZPA
