KEY POINTS:
The depositions hearing resumed today for the man accused of murdering Tony Stanlake, whose handless body was found on a Wellington beach last year.
Daniel Moore, 22, is accused of murdering Mr Stanlake in order to gain control of the profits of the pair's cannabis growing operation run from Moore's flat in Miramar in suburban Wellington.
Mr Stanlake's body washed up at Red Rocks Beach on Wellington's south coast last year, minus its hands.
Peter Leach, a 22-year-old butcher, was sentenced to 15 months' jail after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder.
Leach disposed of Mr Stanlake's hands.
At Wellington District Court today a former colleague of Leach's described seeing him take a black plastic bag from a man outside their workplace, which he then threw into a rubbish skip in an enclosed dockway.
The witness said he had left work but returned as he had forgotten his car keys. As he approached the back of the building he saw a man standing outside holding a rubbish bag, knocking on a door. There was a car parked beside the door in an area not used for parking.
When asked if he needed help the man said he was there to see Leach, who came out and took the bag from the man. It was a black plastic rubbish bag, which looked to be about quarter full and not very heavy.
Leach took it inside and threw it into the rubbish skip in an area not accessible to the public.
When the witness left after collecting his keys the man outside was gone, as was the car.
Earlier today Gretta Francesca Lee Hoeta, a former sexual partner of Moore's, told the court she once saw Moore pull a bundle of $20 notes out of his pocket and put them in his car. She was unsure how much money was there but thought it had a piece of paper around it, holding the bundle together.
She and Moore did not know much about each other's personal lives, she said. They spent time together from time to time, and she was aware he had a girlfriend.
Ms Hoeta said Moore asked her if she wondered how he made so much money, but she said she didn't really care.
Josephine Mary McKenzie, a former girlfriend of Moore's brother David, told the court the first time she went to the Miramar flat she noticed a slight smell of cannabis. She visited the flat about 15 times and cannabis was smoked most of those times.
She did not see any cannabis growing there.
The depositions hearing began on January 23 and ran for one and a half weeks. It was adjourned for four months due to the scale of the ongoing investigation.
In the earlier stages of the hearing the court was told of Mr Stanlake's involvement in drugs and pornography.
Leach appeared as a witness, and said Moore told him he had killed Mr Stanlake in the garage and Leach protected him out of friendship and loyalty.
Leach said Moore had mentioned taking care of "the boss" - his nickname for Mr Stanlake, about a month before Mr Stanlake's murder.
Moore had complained to Leach that he was taking all the risks and Mr Stanlake was getting a bigger take of everything.
- NZPA
