Rajinder, 35, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 27-year-old Gurjit Singh, a brutal attack which left the victim partially decapitated on the lawn outside his Liberton home on January 28 last year.
Since the defendant reaffirmed his plea on the first day of the trial last week, he has been a silent party to the proceedings but yesterday the jury heard from him — at length.
Rajinder, one of many work colleagues and associates questioned by police, was first interviewed by police on January 31 in a two and a-half hour sit-down.
Detective Constable Darrin Healy left it to the final minutes of the meeting to ask him about his heavily bandaged left hand.
He also took photos of the wound, one showing it wrapped up, another depicting the blood-soaked dressing beneath and a final image of the gaping gash.
It was "a long story", Rajinder said.
He told police that weeks before he had been using a chainsaw at home, assisted by his father, when the chain came loose.
He was attempting to fix it when his father accidentally started the power tool again, Rajinder said.
"It was minor ... I didn’t worry about it. I just put a little Band-Aid."
He told Det Const Healy the state of the wound deteriorated because he subsequently had to dig a 20m trench at work.
The court has heard that in an interview five days later, Rajinder admitted he had lied about the injury.
He said it actually occurred the night of the death in an incident with a bicycle and he had concocted the chainsaw story because he was scared of being fingered with the murder.
In his January 31 interview, Rajinder told police he had placed a job ad on Trade Me for a fibre-optic cable installer in 2021 and Mr Singh got the job.
"He was a very good person, to be honest. I met a lot of people in New Zealand but he was one of the best person," the defendant said.
About a year later, Mr Singh left to set up his own company, something Rajinder said he endorsed.
"He just wanted to grow," the defendant said.
Rajinder said there was a "professional gap" between them which meant they did not socialise outside work.
Mr Singh was a "party guy", while he was more of a family man.
Nevertheless, Rajinder expressed his sadness at the man’s death.
"I totally got shocked ... like to be honest, I didn’t eat well for the last two days. He was just 27-years-old and he had ... a lot of things in his life," the defendant told Det Const Healy.
"He was a very good guy and he was always good with me and he was very polite and he was always smiling, talking to other people.
"I felt very bad for him, for his family, for his new wife, for all of us. It’s a very big loss."
Rajinder detailed his movements in the hours before the alleged murder.
He described it as "a lazy day", waking up close to lunchtime after doing an Uber-driving shift the previous night.
He went to a supermarket and then to an Indian shop with his wife before completing some paperwork at home.
Before midnight, he took his wife on a driving lesson to Mosgiel, Rajinder told police.
It is the Crown case that Mr Singh was stabbed to death just before 11pm and in his opening address to the jury, prosecutor Robin Bates said forensic testing discovered Rajinder’s blood at the Hillary St scene, as well as the victim’s blood in the defendant’s car.
However, the defence said there was no animosity between the two and it made no sense for Rajinder to commit such a vicious attack in the circumstances.
The Crown’s evidence is expected to conclude next week.
