A woman motorist has identified Liam James Reid as driving a car towards Spencer Park on the day Emma Agnew was murdered, and she says she saw him at the park's motor camp again a few days later.
Carol Penaia, who lives at the motor camp with her children, told Reid's High Court at Christchurch trial today she was returning home that morning when a red car pulled out in front of her at the Janet Stewart Reserve, on the corner of Lower Styx Road and Marshland Road.
It was driving erratically. She followed it for several kilometres until it pulled left near Spencerville, about 15km northeast of Christchurch.
She said she saw the driver leaning over the passenger seat, but she made eye contact with him as she slowly passed. She identified Reid, pointing him out in court.
She also said she saw him walk past her as she sat in her car at the motor camp a few days later. She said he stared at her.
"He was trying to check me out as if he had seen me before, too."
She picked his photograph out of a police montage.
Defence counsel David Bunce put it to her that she identified Reid in the montage because she had seen him at the motor camp rather than driving the car.
She replied: "I did see him in the car and at the motor camp."
Emma Agnew's body was found near Spencer Park 11 days after her disappearance. Her red Mazda, which she had on sale with a notice in its window, was found at Bromley Park on the day she disappeared - November 15, 2007.
Reid denies raping and murdering Miss Agnew, and raping, sexually violating, robbing and attempting to murder a woman in Dunedin nine days later. His trial before Justice Panckhurst and a jury is expected to take at least four weeks.
