PCA Report paragraph 177. Title from David and Goliath p191.

177. The matter of the washing machine was well canvassed before the jury. When cross-examining Sergeant Stapp at the trial, Mr Guest said, "The defence accepts that you didn't hear the washing machine when you went into the bathroom".  When David was interviewed he said he had turned the knob to the beginning of the red cycle and it takes "3/4 hour to an hour" to complete. At the trial under cross examination he said the setting was "placed after the very very start of the super wash cycle", and confirmed that it was a full cycle for the wash, and that it took 3/4 to an hour to complete. In his book Mr Karam claimed David flicked the dial around to about 2 or 3 0'clock. We have been unable to locate any reference to this anywhere. Mr Karam also claimed the "shorter" cycle was not timed by the Police. In fact, time tests were carried out by the Police and a washin~ machine expert and evidence of this was given at the trial by Detective Lodge.  The expert also gave evidence. They checked both the normal and special cycles. Both took about an hour. To be precise, the normal cycle times which involved two tests were [a] 61 minutes, 11 seconds and [b] 59 minutes, 54 seconds. The special cycle took just over an hour (between 61 minutes and 62 minutes). The switch on the washing machine indicated the last completed wash had been for cold water on the normal cycle. So, if David had got down to the laundry, loaded the machine and commenced washing at about 0643 hours [the very earliest time on his own estimations] the washing machine should still have been going when the Police arrived. Officers were down in the laundry area when they discovered Arawa at about 0729 hours.