Lying by the book? — theory in murder trial
Five days after police announced a homicide investigation into the death of his flatmate, Gregory Hart read a book on lying by a military interrogator, a jury has heard.
Hart was arrested and charged with murder a couple of weeks later, alongside his childhood friend Sean Hayde.
Both men are on trial in the High Court at Auckland accused of murdering Wiremu Arapo, who was Hayde’s boxing coach and Hart’s flatmate, and burning down his house to destroy evidence while his body was inside.
Hayde is also accused of assaulting, strangling and threatening to kill his former partner in the weeks before Arapo’s death on October 20, 2020.
The pair deny all the charges. Each say the other was solely responsible for the killing.
Hayde alleges Hart stabbed Arapo in the neck.
Both men had served in the military and Hayde claimed Hart said “we’re meant to be brothers” before delivering the coup de grace.
It was a version of events rubbished by Hart’s lawyer Paul Borich KC, who asked Hayde whether he got it from a film.
Crown prosecutor Ned Fletcher called it “over-scripted nonsense”.
Hart’s version has Hayde kicking his love rival Arapo to death before dousing the home in petrol and setting it alight.
The fact Hart had the book on lying was the subject of cross-examination by Hayde’s lawyer Julie-Anne Kincade KC yesterday, as the third week of the trial drew to a close.
A digital forensic examination of his phone revealed he had searched for the e-book How To Spot A Liar on November 23, five days after police had gone public with the fact Arapo’s death amid the house fire was now the subject of a homicide inquiry.
Hart said he had bought the title in 2019 and was only searching for it because he had been discussing it with a woman he briefly dated.
Closing addresses will be delivered next week before the jury retires to consider their verdicts.