Still no verdict in Guy murder trial

After more than five hours of deliberations, the jury in the Scott Guy murder trial is yet to reach a verdict on whether Ewen Macdonald is guilty of killing his brother-in-law, and will resume deliberations on Tuesday.

Macdonald is on trial in the High Court at Wellington, accused of shooting Mr Guy dead in his Aorangi Road driveway, near Feilding, in the early morning of July 8, 2010.

After Justice Simon France finished summing up on Monday, the 11-member jury began deliberations shortly after 11.30am but did not return a verdict before the court adjourned at 5pm.

They will resume their deliberations at 9am on Tuesday.

Before the jury retired for the night, Justice France reminded the jurors not to discuss the case with anyone.

"You know there's interest in this case but just be staunch, please."

Earlier on Monday, Justice France advised the jury they must be sure Macdonald committed the murder to find him guilty, and the onus was on the prosecution, led by Palmerston North crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk, to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice France told the jury to put aside anything they previously thought they knew about the case, or had heard outside of the court.

"It's the 11 of you who've heard all the evidence over four weeks. You're not relying on a TV soundbite or someone's summary," he said.

Macdonald has admitted an arson and criminal damage of two houses on Mr Guy's property in late 2008 and early 2009, saying tensions between the pair were to blame.

Justice France told the jurors that while Macdonald's previous misconduct can help inform their view on his guilt, they cannot leap from that to a guilty verdict for the murder, and must assess the evidence without emotion, including any sympathy for the Guy family.

"Whatever you generally think about what Mr Macdonald's done in the past is irrelevant to deciding this case."

He said the jury should take into account the defence submission that someone else committed the murder, but it was up to them to decide how much weight to place on those submissions.

Macdonald did not take the stand in his defence, but Justice France told the jury not to give "any significance at all" to that fact.