The half-sister of murder accused Stephen Hudson gave vague statements to police because her family was under immense stress and she did not want to get involved, a court has been told.
Hudson, 39, is on trial in the High Court at Wellington for the Desert Rd murder of Palmerston North man Nicholas Pike, 22, on about March 18, 2002. Mr Pike's body has never been found.
The defence says Hudson could not have killed Mr Pike because he had been in and around Masterton from March 15.
Hudson's half-sister, Tannith Lee Billing, told the court today she had received a 20-minute visit from Hudson at her Wellington home on March 16, 2002, but he had not come inside.
He had been in Wellington to visit the newborn baby of a family friend, she said.
Prosecutor Paul Murray said Ms Billing had told police last week that Hudson had visited her a day earlier, on March 15.
In an earlier statement she had not given an exact date.
Asked if she was being deliberately cagey, Ms Billing said she had been vague to police because the investigation and trial had put her family under immense stress.
"I've seen what it's done to the rest of my family," she said.
"I really don't want to get in the middle of this."
Asked why she had not earlier clarified to police the date she had seen Mr Hudson, Ms Billing said she did not think seeing him briefly was important.
She had not discussed alibi dates with her family in any detail, she said.
However, Ms Billing had told police that family discussions about the alibi had started "ages ago", Mr Murray said.
Yesterday, Hudson's mother Christina Billing told the court her son had been in Masterton from March 18 to April 10. The trial continues.
