"I would like to annihilate him. Those are the words used by the accused in this trial about the victim Michael McGrath."
The Crown has opened its case in the High Court in Christchurch in the seven week murder trial of David Benbow, accused of killing his friend McGrath.
The 49-year-old builder went missing in May 2017, five-and-a-half years ago. His body has never been found. His disappearance triggered a huge manhunt, including intensive searches in the suburb of Halswell, near his home.
His friend and former prison officer Benbow has pleaded not guilty to his murder, but Crown Prosecutor Claire Boshier told the jury 20 days before McGrath disappeared, the accused found out he had been kissing his ex-partner and mother of his two daughters.
“As I said, Mr Benbow’s daughter confirmed she had seen mummy and Mike kissing in April 2017.”
She told the jury on May 2, 2017, Benbow told a counsellor he felt "shafted" and that he had lost everything.
"Bloody Michael has been my friend for years and now he is going well and shagging my ex-partner."
The Crown case is from that moment Benbow’s anger was focused on McGrath.
McGrath hasn’t been seen since May 22 2017. His bank accounts haven’t been touched.
Boshier said the case was built on circumstantial evidence.
"Nobody saw Mr Benbow murder Mr McGrath… there is no DNA evidence and no weapon. The Crown case is built on many different strands of evidence.”
On May 22, the day McGrath went missing, the Crown says he met Benbow at his house in Candy’s Road at 9am to help him with a job.
He hasn’t been seen since.
The Crown says Benbow had turned his CCTV cameras off, cut out a section of his lawn to re-sow, and changed his clothes three times.
“Exactly what he did in that hour when he murdered Mr McGrath is not known. What we do know is his firearm which he said was secured in the roof is missing.”
The Crown says Benbow had already “selected a spot to dispose of the body and spent time preparing it” and “Mr Benbow carried out his plan to annihilate Mr McGrath on that day”.
However, Benbow denies the meeting on May 22 ever took place. The Defence will open its case later today.
The Crown opening continues this afternoon, and prosecutors will call 135 witnesses over the next six weeks.
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