Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Ewen Macdonald admits arson in police interview

Updated at 6:15 am on 20 June 2012

A High Court jury has heard the man accused of murdering the Feilding farmer, Scott Guy say that it would make sense for whoever attacked the dead man's property to also be linked to the killing.

Ewen Macdonald is before the High Court at Wellington charged with murdering Mr Guy, his 31 year-old brother-in-law, in July 2010.

Mr Macdonald has admitted a graffiti and arson attack on Scott Guy's property but denies murder.

In the final part of a police interview played in court on Tuesday, jurors heard Mr Macdonald admit being involved in the property attacks after being told his accomplice Callum Boe had confessed.

He had earlier said that whoever committed the attacks would also be responsible for the killing.

But when pressed about this by detectives, Mr Macdonald said he wasn't the murderer and was innocent regardless of whether he was charged.

He told investigators that while the prior attacks may have made things look obvious, he was not, "psycho" and did not know how the death had happened.

Earlier Mr MacDonald said at the time of the damage he was still holding a grudge over what he believed was an unequal partnership on the farm.

Mr Macdonald said he was "flogging his guts out" and didn't get as much time at home with his kids whereas Scott Guy got a lot more home time.

However he denied involvement in Mr Guy's killing and said he wished his brother-in-law was still around because he was now having to work harder than he did before.

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