A key witness at the trial of a man accused of killing a young Palmerston North drug dealer has denied fabricating evidence.
Stephen Hudson, 39, is before the High Court at Wellington charged with murdering Nicholas Pike, who disappeared in March 2002.
Cindy Vrins told the court on Thursday that Mr Hudson dropped her on the Desert Rd in 2002 and drove down a side road with Mr Pike.
She said he later told her he'd left Mr Pike there to look after some cannabis plants.
In cross-examination on Friday she said the police questioned her five years later and she felt she had to tell them all she knew to show she hadn't been involved.
Ms Vrins agreed she'd seen a reward document relating to Mr Pike's disappearance, but denied fabricating the story about the Desert Road incident.
