The man accused of murdering Grace Millane told police he was at a bar getting black-out drunk at a time CCTV cameras showed him entering CityLife with the British backpacker.
An image taken from video shown to the jury of the defendant being interviewed at Auckland Central Police Station. Photo: Supplied
The 27-year-old man denies murdering Ms Millane after meeting her on a date in Auckland's CBD last December.
It is accepted Ms Millane died in the man's CityLife apartment before he buried her body in a suitcase in the Waitākere Ranges.
The jury is today watching the defendant's first police interview at the Auckland Central Police Station on the afternoon of 6 December.
Grace Millane Photo: Supplied
He said he matched on Tinder with Ms Millane the day before meeting her for a date near SkyCity, at his suggestion.
The accused told Detective Sergeant Ewen Settle he wanted to meet her in a public place in case he was being "catfished", a term that refers to people posing as fake identities online.
"I didn't initially know that she was real ... it's happened to a few people I know in Australia and it's all over the TV.
"So I thought 'you know what if I meet at SkyCity at least I know there's lots of people around' so if it's someone that it's not I can just walk away."
The man said they hung out at the bar drinking cocktails at Andy's Burgers and Bar in SkyCity for at least two hours.
He said the chat "flew" by as he talked to Ms Millane about her travels, her home town in Essex and his job as a sales manager; at one point offering to get her a job at his work.
The man said they planned to meet at Base Backpackers, where Ms Millane was staying, the following day; which was Ms Milane's 22nd birthday.
"I tried to message her the next day on Tinder but I'd been unmatched and I was like, 'oh, what's going on here? I must have done the wrong thing.
"So I went to go text her to find out all the details were for the next day and I'd been unmatched so that was that."
He told the detective he last saw her on Victoria Street and they parted in good spirits.
"There was a hug, a kiss on the cheek and a 'nice meeting you', and then I said 'let me know about tomorrow'. She said 'okay' and then she kept walking."
The jury has now been shown CCTV footage that showed the pair actually entered the CityLife apartment complex at 9.40pm.
Mr Settle sketched a map of the Victoria and Federal Streets area, pressing the man on when he last saw the woman.
The defendant then said he did not watch her walk down Victoria Street because he started talking to a tourist group.
"I started talking to a group of Chinese travellers ... they were walking across the road ... they were happy to chat."
Detective Sergeant Ewan Settle gives evidence. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
He said he was heading to the Viaduct to meet a workmate but she was not replying to his texts or calls and told him the following day she was with her mother after a death in the family.
The man said he didn't end up walking to the Viaduct and instead stopped at an old black pub with "rickety tables" on Queen Street.
He said it was busy and he mingled with people smoking outside while drinking at least 10 handles of beer himself and buying 20 drinks for other people with cash.
The man told the detective he ate steak, chips and eggs at the bar but his memory stopped when he left the pub between 10pm and 11pm, the court heard.
"That's when I can't remember. I did the same thing on Thursday night when I went out drinking with workmates and I ended up sleeping outside the hotel.
"The concierge had to help me upstairs. So I tend to drink and somehow get into bed."
He said he'd been out drinking with his work's chief executive, owners, sales managers and colleagues on the Thursday night.
"I remember getting into a tuk tuk and giving the guy $20; that's where I had the cash from. I was going to catch a taxi but then the tuk tuk was there."
The man said he felt "fine" after drinking cocktails with Ms Millane but after getting black-out drunk at the Queen Street bar he woke up at 10am in his apartment.
"I had a bit of a vomit. I knew that I'd mixed drinks before, I felt like crap. I knew I'd had too much and not just beer."
He said he had "a feeling" the same concierge had carried him to his apartment in CityLife that night as well.
He then caught up with a friend he had worked with at a Ponsonby bar that afternoon, he said.
The court has heard Ms Millane's body was in a suitcase in his apartment at the time.
At one point in the police intervew video, Mr Settle asked the defendant if he would give a voluntary DNA sample, after telling him police were very concerned for Ms Millane's safety and thought she may have fallen victim to foul play.
"One hundred per cent. I know I haven't done anything wrong so I'm happy to do it," the man said.
Mr Settle told the man by foul play he meant the British backpacker may have been murdered.
"We actually don't know if she's been murdered or not yet. She may be alive and well but she might also be dead, and it could be that you've done it."
The man nodded, affirming he understood what was being said before Mr Settle left the room.
Seconds after the door closed the accused got up and knocked on the door and spoke to a passing police officer.
"Hey, I just want to ask a question. Am I being arrested for something I didn't do?"
The officer confirms he's not under arrest, and the man says "holy shit" several times before the door is closed again.
Mr Settle came back to the room and told him they were going to "hold off" on a voluntary DNA sample, before reading him his rights and continuing the interview.
The trial before Justice Moore and a jury of seven women and five men is set down for four weeks.
