Jeremy McLaughlin murdered Jade Bayliss when she disturbed him burgling her family home, and he torched the house to cover up his tracks, a court heard today in closing submissions.
McLaughlin, 35, is accused of strangling the schoolgirl with a piece of cord before stuffing socks in her mouth and dousing her Christchurch house in petrol and setting it ablaze.
Jade, 13, was found dead in the burning property by firefighters on November 10, 2011.
The labourer and part-time nightclub doorman denies murder, saying he never saw anyone inside the house that day, but has pleaded guilty to burglary and arson.
At the High Court in Christchurch today, the Crown gave its closing submissions, saying that Jade was killed by McLaughlin during his burglary, and the arson was committed to conceal that crime.
All three crimes were inter-connected, Crown prosecutor Kathy Bell said.
She recalled the evidence of pathologist Dr Katherine White who told the court that Jade had died of strangulation before the fire broke out.
Given that socks were also stuffed in her mouth, there was "no doubt" that Jade had been murdered, she said.
DNA found under her right fingernails, which matched McLaughlin's profile, got there while she fought for her life, Ms Bell said.
It was not transferred earlier through normal house-sharing means, given that the trial heard evidence Jade was very hygienic, had showered that morning, and was fastidious about the cleanliness and length of her fingernails, the jury was told.
The trial heard hours of evidence relating to CCTV footage, and telephone records, which helped "irrefutably" establish events on that day, said Ms Bell.
Suggestions by the defence that someone else entered the house that day to kill her, she said, are not proven.
Ms Bell said McLaughlin in his testimony "inferred through stealth" for the jury to think that former flatmate Jolon Sweeney may have committed the murder, but again the Crown said it was not possible.
"McLaughlin needs someone else in the frame," Ms Bell said.
She added that that when he told lies to police in his first interview, he was doing so because he "thought he could get away with it".
While admitting he had burgled and then set the Bayliss property alight, McLaughlin denies stuffing socks in Jade's mouth and strangling her to death with a length of cord.
McLaughlin claims no-one was home when he was there stealing TVs, games consoles, a bicycle, lawnmower and family documents, or later when he returned with a petrol canister and lighter.
Sweeney, 41, yesterday pleaded guilty to a charge of being an accessory after the fact of the burglary and arson.
The jury is now hearing closing submissions from defence counsel.
- Kurt Bayer of APNZ
