Malcolm Rewa has told the jury on his murder trial of an evening with Susan Burdett where they took drugs, drank wine and things became "amorous".
Later that evening she was found dead in her home, but Rewa denies he was involved.
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Rewa's murder trial has entered its second week and he has taken the stand to give evidence.
Susan Burdett, 39, was found raped and bludgeoned in her Papatoetoe home in 1992.
Rewa told defence lawyer Paul Chambers he met Susan Burdett at her workplace while he was picking up plastic buckets to use for carrying water to his marijuana plantation.
Their friendship developed into a romantic one, he said.
He recalled an evening she came to his home and they shared an ecstasy pill and some fizzy wine.
"If you're in good company it becomes amorous.
"We'd already spent time together prior to that, we had consensual sex together," Rewa said.
He said Susan Burdett made a comment about the scented toilet paper at his home, before leaving.
Later that evening she was found dead.
Rewa told the court that in the past two trials he's faced for Susan Burdett's murder, no one has asked about his friendship with her.
"All they were worried about was finding someone to blame for her murder.
"Nobody has asked, 'How do you feel about losing your friend?'"
Crown prosecutor Gareth Kayes challenged Rewa on this point in his cross examination.
"Do you remember saying 'I didn't have warm feelings for her. It was a friendship, it was an income, it was sex,'" Kayes asked.
"You're trying to talk up the strength of your relationship today."
"Was there a relationship? It's a lie isn't it Mr Rewa."
Rewa was convicted of Susan Burdett's rape in 1998 but two juries in two separate trials have failed to decide if he also murdered her.
Last week the jury heard 20 different statements from Rewa's rape victims, rapes which today he acknowledged.
"Every time it's put up on TV I feel the shame of it, I feel the pain I put all those women through, to say sorry would be inadequate."
Newshub.
