Rajinder, 35, is on trial before the High Court at Dunedin after pleading not guilty to the murder of 27-year-old Gurjit Singh.
His lawyers, in opening, said there was no reason for the defendant to inflict such a brutal killing on a man with whom he had no grudge.
A pathologist this week told the jury the victim had been stabbed at least 46 times and his severe neck wounds had the appearance of an incomplete decapitation.
Yesterday, the focus shifted to Rajinder’s movements in the hours before the alleged killing, which is thought to have happened late on January 28 last year, at Mr Singh’s Liberton home.
Detective Constable Jackson Larrivee was tasked with obtaining CCTV footage from various retailers the defendant visited that afternoon.
A trip to Pak’nSave to buy $52 of groceries was unremarkable but the witness said the CCTV footage was exceptionally clear and showed no visible wound to Rajinder’s hand.
The court was previously shown footage of the defendant the day after in which his hand was bandaged.
Crown prosecutor Robin Bates told the jury at the trial’s outset that Rajinder had initially told police the cut was an old chainsaw injury but when confronted with the images, said it was actually sustained when removing a bike from his vehicle the night of Mr Singh’s death.
Det Const Larrivee also sourced CCTV footage from Bunnings Warehouse, where the defendant was seen buying a pair of $14 "knuckle protection" gloves.
Rajinder also stopped at Hunting & Fishing that afternoon, where he spent $100 on a folding knife with a 9cm blade and a gaiter.
The officer explained the garment could be worn around the neck and be pulled up to cover the lower half of the face — "like a half balaclava".
The last time Rajinder was spotted that day was in The Warehouse with his wife, where he shelled out $59 on two hi-vis vests, a bike lock and a helmet.
Mr Bates said police never found the knife, gaiter, gloves, or the garments the defendant had been wearing in the footage of January 28.
But counsel Katy Barker questioned the thoroughness of the search of her client’s home.
Constable Ben Pawson was the officer in charge of exhibits and the search warrant allowed officers to seize a variety of items including any sharp-bladed implements.
However, Ms Barker highlighted a couple of knives, which police had photographed while scouring the property, that were not seized.
Const Pawson accepted there was some discretion used by those on the scene, and said it was a possibility if they had found a folding knife still in its packaging it might not have been taken away.
Jurors also heard from PHF Science’s Wendy Janes, who examined Rajinder’s Toyota Prius.
The forensic scientist said — despite the car being valet cleaned the day after Mr Singh’s death — there was evidence of small areas of blood staining on the driver’s door edge, the pillar near the seatbelt, the centre console, seatbelt buckle and sun visor.
There were also two areas of blood on the ceiling upholstery near the passenger’s headrest.
DNA results of those samples will be given by another witness but Mr Bates said at the beginning of the trial, both the defendant’s and victim’s blood was found in the vehicle.
The trial continues.
