A former friend of a man accused of murdering a 15-year-old boy has told a jury he used to tell her all the time that he wanted to kill somebody.
The woman, who has name suppression, was giving evidence on Wednesday at the trial of Gavin Gosnell, who the Crown says beat Hayden Miles to death in Christchurch in August 2011.
On Monday, Mr Gosnell denied the murder charge at the beginning of his trial in the Christchurch High Court. However, his lawyer Craig Ruane said the accused did not deny killing the boy and the jury must decide whether he is guilty of murder or manslaughter.
It is alleged that following the assault in a Cashel Street flat, the 28-year-old cut the boy's body into 12 pieces and, with his partner at the time Nicolette Vaux-Phillips, buried them in two central Christchurch graveyards.
The woman, who was a friend of Gavin Gosnell's for about eight years, told the court that during that time he regularly mentioned he wanted to kill a person.
The pair watched crime shows together and she said Mr Gosnell told her he wanted her help to pick up a hitch-hiker to take back to his house to rape and torture.
The woman said the accused told her he needed her there to look more convincing. She told the court she didn't think he was serious about it because when she asked him questions, he joked it away.
The woman said Mr Gosnell always said once he had killed somebody, he would cut them up and bury the pieces.
Earlier, a man who checked Hayden Miles to see whether he was alive after the assault told the court he has been unable to forget what he saw.
The witness, who has name suppression, was called to the Cashel Street flat by another unnamed witness. He said he told Mr Gosnell that he had to go to police and tell them what happened.
The man said he went inside to see if whoever had been beaten was still still alive and in need of help. He told the court the face had been so badly beaten he could not tell if it was male or female, and he has never been able to forget that image.
