KEY POINTS:
A woman's distant scream was heard on the morning Emma Agnew disappeared, in the area where her body was later found, a witness told the High Court at Christchurch today.
Liam James Reid, 36, is on trial for Ms Agnew's rape and murder and also for raping, sexually violating, robbing and attempting to murder a woman in Dunedin on November 24.
Suzanne Scheib, the international student manager at Aranui High School, described the screaming as going on for a couple of minutes.
The person sounded distressed and she estimated the cry came from a kilometre away.
She said to the person with her, "I think she needs help."
But they decided it was probably just people playing at Spencer Park, where Ms Agnew's body was later found, and carried on arranging a function for which 48 students were arriving at the park.
Mrs Scheib said she believed she heard the sound about 10.25am to 10.30am on November 15, the day of Miss Agnew's disappearance. At the time, she and another student were hiding lollies at Spencer Park for the games that were to follow.
The evidence was given on the second day of the trial before Justice Lester Chisholm and a jury.
The defence says it was not Reid who committed the crimes.
The body of Miss Agnew, who was profoundly deaf, was found beneath foliage near Spencer Park on November 26.
An earlier witness, a friend of Miss Agnew, Jane Phillips, told of her friend visiting her at home that morning to ask about funding for a sports team travelling to Australia.
Miss Agnew received a text message and left her house soon after 10am, driving her red Mazda Familia.
Ms Phillips was asked by crown prosecutor Marie Grills if deaf people could scream, and she said she believed they could.
The court was then told by a male witness that he had earlier seen the "for sale" sign in the window of Miss Agnew's car and had texted to find out about the vehicle. In answer to his questions, he learned that the car had a young woman owner.
After 10am on November 15, he had again texted Miss Agnew's number to ask if she would like a "threesome" sexual encounter with him and his partner.
She declined by text.
Questioned by crown prosecutor Brent Stanaway, the man said he had never seen the person he was texting and did not know what they looked like.
The Crown is calling evidence from 106 witnesses and the trial is expected to continue for at least a month.
- NZPA
