Police say murder-accused Quinton Winders lied and was inconsistent during a recorded police interview about the death of road worker George Taiaroa.
Winders was arrested for driving erratically in the early stages of the homicide investigation, but ended up being quizzed about his movements around the time of the killing.
A blue jeep Cherokee seen speeding from the scene of Mr Taiaroa's murder has always been central to police investigations.
The court has been told Winders owned a blue Jeep, but when questioned by police, he told them his Jeep was purple.
Winders also told police on the day of the killing he collected his Jeep from a panel beating shop in Stratford, got petrol and then went home. But later Winders recalled that he'd actually gone to Taumaranui.
"You told me you picked up the Cherokee, refuelled and then went home ... but now you're saying you went to Taumaranui, is that correct?" police asked.
"Well, I'm just trying to remember," said Winders.
Winders did go to Taumaranui - CCTV images show him at the local post office where he'd gone to get a new registration for his jeep.
"He brought up a number of inconsistencies and lies," Rotorua police officer Steve Dunn said.
But Winders' defence team was critical of the way police handled the situation, saying his arrest that day for reckless driving was fabricated and all part of a strategy to get Winders talking about the day Mr Taiaroa was shot.
When Winders was asked about the day Mr Taiaroa was shot, he denied the allegations against him.
A gun safe was located at the home of the accused during a search, but none of the weapons were linked to the shooting.
Newshub.
