Liam James Reid has given his account of the morning Christchurch woman Emma Agnew was murdered, and says he was buying drugs at the time and never met her.
"I've never met her. I've never driven anywhere with her," the 36-year-old told the High Court at Christchurch where he faces charges of murder, rape, and attempted murder, the Christchurch Court News website reported.
"When I woke up on November 15, I had no idea I would get framed for murder two weeks later," he told the jury.
On that morning, his partner had broken up with him again. He said that as she was driving away, she had smiled at him and he had thrown a stone at her car. He was angry they had split up so often.
After she drove off, he went back inside the backpackers he was staying at, and stewed.
He then went to two addresses to try to find his partner, and walked into the city. He sent her several texts.
He then went to get drugs. He saw a friend in a car and drove around with him for an hour while they bought drugs. He would not name the man.
Asked if he took P (methamphetamine), Reid replied: "Absolutely."
He said he took it by injection because "it's the best way to have it as far as I am concerned".
Reid then picked up a needle and syringe at the needle exchange in the city and returned to the backpackers to take the drugs. The midday news came on while he was there, he said.
Defence counsel David Bunce said Reid's account of the morning covered the period when Miss Agnew had disappeared. Reid replied that he had not seen her, had never met her, and had not driven her to Spencerville, where her body was found 11 days later.
He recounted being "pretty wired" after taking the P.
"My mind was 100 miles an hour, and then I went into town."
Late in the day he saw his partner again. They talked and she gave him cannabis before they agreed to part, hugged and said goodbye.
Reid left Christchurch at midday the next day, hitchhiking to Blenheim and Nelson to look for fruit-picking work. He thought he would get a ride on a boat to Australia.
Reid denies charges of raping and murdering Miss Agnew, and raping, sexually violating, robbing and attempting to murder a woman in Dunedin nine days later. The trial is before Justice Lester Chisholm.
