2PM UPDATE: A Crown witness who told jurors an accused man confessed to him that he had murdered a couple, has denied under cross-examination that he had any role in their deaths.
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Defence counsel Evan Hughes, acting for Marco Daniel Rusterholz, suggested to Matthew James Coventry that he was the one who had killed Angela Maree Hallam and Joshua Eric Newman.
The North-West Coast man replied that assertion was "incorrect".
Mr Hughes also cross-examined Mr Coventry about his criminal history and said to the witness that he had been convicted of "more than 50, maybe 60" crimes of dishonesty.
"Seventy-five," Mr Coventry replied.
"You're a dishonest person aren't you, Mr Coventry?" Mr Hughes asked.
Mr Coventry smiled and said "correct".
The trial, before Justice Robert Pearce, continues.
EARLIER: A Crown witness has told a double murder trial that the accused told him he had killed a woman and "the young fella".
Matthew James Coventry, 38, told jurors that Marco Daniel Rusterholz said to him he had killed Angela Maree Hallam and "taken care of" her new boyfriend.
This conversation happened in the bathroom of a house on the Brooker Highway in a Hobart suburb, Mr Coventry told the Supreme Court.
The second week of the Launceston trial of Mr Rusterholz, 51, has continued today.
He has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Ms Hallam, 31, and Joshua Eric Newman, 21, a new couple whose stabbed, burnt remains were found in a unit fire in Pioneer Parade, Ravenswood, on August 15, 2012.
During evidence-in-chief today, Mr Coventry said he believed that Mr Rusterholz opened up to him because Mr Rusterholz had just started dabbling in different illicit drugs.
Mr Coventry said that the accused had taken steroids for weightlifting up until that time and now wanted to try other drugs.
"Marco contorted his own brain," he said.
"And [was] telling everyone basically what he had done."
Yesterday, Mr Coventry gave evidence that he and Ms Hallam distributed drugs across Tasmania on behalf of Mr Rusterholz, and this included pocketing some of the morphine boxes to distribute themselves.
However, he added that they had decided to "take their cut" and leave the drug trafficking ring before Ms Hallam's death.