A war of words has erupted between the man accused of murdering Lance Murphy and the Crown prosecutor.
Michael Waipouri, who allegedly bludgeoned Mr Murphy to death with a bat and a tree branch north of Auckland in 2015, was being cross-examined on Wednesday.
On Tuesday Waipouri told the court he'd killed Mr Murphy because he saw a demon with ten heads come out of his chest - one for every person Mr Murphy had killed as a hitman.
He said Mr Murphy had killed his own wife and mother-in-law, and Waipouri feared he was next.
When questioned on Wednesday, he told the court he was adamant Mr Murphy given his own wife a lethal injection.
But the Crown said her doctor ruled there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death, and there was earlier evidence that he had been a loving and caring husband.
"We've heard Lance cared for Wendi when she was sick," said Crown prosecutor Gareth Kayes.
"Not when he came to my house," Waipouri replied.
He then said: "He killed her, he killed her, he killed her. He administered her that drug, he put her down like a dog."
"Mr Waipouri, if he had killed Wendi how is that in any way a threat to you?" Mr Kayes countered. "You're just making this up."
Waipouri replied: "If it's possible he can kill Jim Donnelly, Wayne Henderson, kill Wendi and his mother in law ... then he could kill me."
The court heard Mr Murphy's mother-in-law Eileen Wilkinson died not long after Wendi, and Waipouri says Mr Murphy was withholding her medication.
"He withdrew her medication, I just know it ... He admitted to killing three people; he sure as hell had the capacity to kill Eileen."
When asked what evidence Waiporui had to back up his claims, he replied "I just know".
Waipouri then said Mr Murphy had threatened to kill him.
"I got the texts, I got them on me - I want to show the jury."
He then pulled out a folded piece of paper from up his sleeve titled "missing texts", which he asked be photocopied and handed to the judge and jury.
Heated questioning continued with Mr Kayes calling Waipouri's claims "nonsense".
The Crown also rubbished Waipouri's statement that Mr Murphy was a professional hit man and serial killer who had killed 10 people.
The court earlier heard claims Mr Murphy was responsible for the death of steel mill worker Jim Donnelly, who went missing in 2004.
"Mr Waipouri, why didn't you tell police? You harboured that secret since 2004 ... It's not true is it, you're making it up?" challenged Mr Kayes.
Waipouri simply replied "no".
Newshub.
