7 Jun 2011

Sordid tale by murder-accused made up - Crown

1:05 pm on 7 June 2011

The Crown says the man accused of murdering a Whanganui woman developed a story to blame someone else and save his marriage.

Dean Mulligan, 43, told police that a man with a knife raped him to force him into a relationship with Marice McGregor.

He said Ms McGregor later forced him into sex at knifepoint. After her killing, the man again raped him and threatened him into a false confession.

He told the High Court at Whanganui that he was also threatened at gunpoint, and that he received a note in prison sexually threatening his wife and daughters.

Crown prosecutor Lance Rowe says Mr Mulligan made it all up to paint the betrayal of his wife with a woman he later killed, as someone else's fault.