Warning: This article contains details which may disturb some people.
The murder trial of a Dunedin doctor has heard he toasted marshmallows while allegedly burning evidence.
- Family of slain Dunedin teenager relive horrific night she was found dead in her bed
- Dunedin doctor accused of murdering teenage girl after she threatened to expose his behaviour to his employer
- Amber-Rose Rush murder-accused wants to move trial from Dunedin
Venod Skantha, 32, is accused of stabbing Amber-Rose Rush in her bed last February. The Defence case however is that she was killed by an intruder, who was not Skantha.
In the Dunedin High Court on Wednesday, Skantha's former partner Brigid Clinton gave evidence that Skantha said he was burning his "daggiest clothes", at a gathering at her house the day Amber's body was found.
Crown Prosecutor Richard Smith questioned Clinton as to whether there was any conversation about what was in the fire.
"That was when Venod said he was burning his daggiest clothes - to get the fire going," Clinton said.
"We were toasting marshmallows."
Clinton also described Skantha's non-stop drinking.
Under cross-examination, she said his drinking deteriorated towards the end of the relationship, with Skantha drinking wine from the bottle.
On Wednesday afternoon, the jury is visiting the house where Amber-Rose Rush died.
Newshub.
