The jury on the Blessie Gotingco trial has been told the whole defence case was a lie but the lawyer for the murder-accused says his client's explanation is the only one that makes sense.
After a false start on Wednesday, due to the absence of a juror, the Crown gave its closing statement yesterday, painting the picture of a pre-meditated, violent slaying.
The trial for the 28-year-old accused of the rape and murder of Mrs Gotingco has run into its fourth week and the judge will sum up the case today, before the jury finally retires to consider its verdicts.
Crown prosecutor Kieran Raftery said the evidence was "the only voice she's got in this trial" and urged the jury to return guilty verdicts.
Mr Raftery said GPS data from the defendant's anklet showed it was not a five-minute flurry in the garage before retiring to his apartment upstairs, as he had suggested while giving evidence this week.
"He was very busy between 8pm and just before 11. He was busy because he had a number of things to do. The next thing after he raped her was to make sure she could never give evidence against him," he said.
Gotingco family members sat through as much as they could handle but had to leave several times when more gruesome details were revealed.
Defence lawyer Chris Wilkinson-Smith said: "You've seen the defendant, you might accept there's a bit of intelligence there but how stupid would you be to lay your plans [to kill someone] and not make any plans for the fact you're wearing a GPS bracelet?" he said.
"He's intelligent, he's not stupid."
NZME.