A Queenstown woman accused of trying to help alleged kidnapper Pita Wilson avoid arrest told police she was his "happy place'' and had only wanted to keep him safe.
Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw, of Alexandra, was giving evidence in the Invercargill District Court yesterday about the role of Amanda Jane Nicolls (45) in the police's manhunt for Wilson in late 2014.
A few days after the alleged kidnappings and assault at a cabin in Lakeview, Queenstown, Nicolls had told him she did not know where Wilson was hiding, Det Sgt Shaw said.
But she was Wilson's "long-time friend'' and willing to help police as a go-between.
Nicolls was arrested five days later after sending Wilson two text messages warning him of police activity on Frankton Rd.
Det Sgt Shaw's evidence came on the fourth day of a jury trial in which Nicolls is accused of attempting to assist Wilson to avoid arrest on December 3, 2014, knowing he had committed the crime of kidnapping.
Wilson (40), of Glenorchy, and Mark Junior Taylor (19), of Bluff, are jointly charged with kidnapping Joseph Armstrong, Andrew Lee and Casey Johnston in Queenstown between November 25 and 26 of that year.
The pair are also jointly charged with injuring Armstrong with intent to injure.
The Crown alleges Wilson and Glenorchy man Joshua Veint assaulted Armstrong at his cabin, and that Taylor acted to ensure others did not intervene.
The court was shown two text messages sent by Nicolls to Wilson on the night of his arrest on December 3.
The first warns of "10 pig cars'' on Frankton Rd and urges him to keep safe, while the second tells him of "armed defenders'' in a neighbouring property.
An audio recording was played to the court of a phone call from Wilson to Nicolls on December 1 in which he says he has not kidnapped anyone and does not have a firearm, despite "crazy stories'' that he has murdered someone.
A video recording was shown of a police interview with Taylor soon after he handed himself in on November 30.
Taylor tells Detective Alan Lee and Det Sgt Shaw he "can't tell the truth in front of the camera'', but later says "stupid'' things happened at the cabin.
Wilson had become "emotional'' after Armstrong told him he had slept with his girlfriend, but Taylor denies that he or Wilson assaulted Armstrong.
After Det Lee reads him Casey Johnston's statement about the events at the cabin, Taylor describes it as "despicable'' and untrue.
The trial resumes on Monday.
