Dunedin High Court. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Slain Dunedin man Gurjit Singh planned to install security cameras, after discovering his garage door was open weeks before his death, a friend says.
Singh was found dead on the lawn of his home in January last year, stabbed more than 40 times.
A 35-year-old man, known only as Rajinder, is on trial at the High Court for murder.
Rajinder's defence lawyer insists he had no reason to kill his former employee and there was no animosity between the men.
Friend Jagmeet Buttar told the court Singh was not worried about security, but kept his doors locked, perhaps because he lived alone.
He bought security cameras days after finding his garage door open and had asked Buttar if he had come over to borrow some tools.
When Buttar told him he had not paid a visit, Singh said he planned to install front and backdoor cameras.
"He was not worried about security, he just wanted to just make sure if somebody come here, he can see who's coming," he said.
Buttar said Singh was happy, when he called in to pick up a car he had borrowed the night before he was found dead.
Singh told Buttar he was planning a three-day trip to pick up his wife, who was expected to arrive in Christchurch from India.
Buttar left before Singh got ready to go to a pizza party with friends in Helensburgh.
Buttar told the court he was working in Mosgiel the following morning, when he received a call to say that Singh was dead. He drove straight to his house, where he was stopped by police and gave a statement at the station.
Singh and Rajinder had previously worked together at Downer, which had a contract with Chorus to install fibre.
Buttar said Singh did not talk a lot about his work with Rajinder, although he mentioned that he might buy Rajinder's car and some tools for $20-40,000.
At one stage, Singh told him Rajinder owed him money from their work together in about 2020.
Another friend and former flatmate Sunil Umat described Singh as a person who loved to crack jokes and was always laughing.
They were close friends and he was invited to Singh's wedding in India.
They would go to the gym together, hang out, and go to BBQs every now and again, Umat said.
When asked if he knew if Singh had any problems with Rajinder, Umat told defence lawyer Anne Stevens KC that he had never brought anything up.
The trial is scheduled for three weeks.
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