A couple say their son happily ate a Sunday pork roast and watched Country Calendar minutes after he allegedly took part in a man's murder.

The High Court trial of six men accused of murdering Whanganui man James Butler mostly heard from family of the defendants on Monday.

Mark Robert Audain​, Daniel Shane Whareaorere​​, Kemp Rangitahae Rippon​, Wayne David Reardon, Dwayne Anson Tewhenua Fore and a man with name suppression are charged with murdering Butler on April 22, 2018.

They are also accused of robbing him, wounding Butler's brother Brent with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and participating in an organised criminal group.

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Manuel Hohepa Wynyard denies attempting to pervert the course of justice after the shooting, but Audain has pleaded guilty to that charge.

Audain's mother Anita Audain​ said her son had been home most of the weekend, but went out about 1pm on the day of Butler's death.

He arrived home just before 7pm after people at the house had finished dinner.

She was able to pin the time because they always sat down to watch Country Calendar.

"He seemed good. He had some food and watched the rest of Country Calendar with us, maybe had a smoke and then went to his room," she said.

The Crown says Butler was fatally shot about 6.30pm.

MURRAY WILSON/STUFF Kemp Rippon's wife says he confessed to getting involved in a murder and using a hammer to bash someone.

Audain's father Peter Audain​ said he did not know where his son went that afternoon, but he was fine when he arrived home to have his pork roast.

The police showed up at their house about a week after Butler's death looking for Mark, Peter Audain said.

Mark Audain spoke to them away from the house, before going back to his father.

"He just said he wasn't involved in anything and that was it," Peter Audain said.

"He was a little bit stressed, as you would expect to be with armed police turning up."

Rippon's wife Louise Sorensen​ said the pair had a Facebook video conversation on April 24, 2018.

He was upset, going from laughing one moment to crying the next, smoking something out of a pipe and saying he had done something dumb, she said.

"He said that things got serious and he had become involved in something silly.

"He said he had been involved in a murder."

He held up a claw hammer with blood on it, explaining he had hit someone with it, she said.

But a few weeks later he said he had not hit someone.

That second call was made while a police officer was present. They were pushing Sorensen into trying to get him to give her his Facebook password, she said.

"I felt sorry for Kemp. It was like a set-up."

At times while giving evidence via audio-visual link she said she was done with answering questions.

She even told a police officer a different story a week before the trial to try get out of giving evidence, she said.

Wynyard's partner Tamara Whenuaroa took her time getting to the witness box.

"Why do I have to?" she told a police detective at the courthouse doors. "Just arrest me, then."

She got to the witness box and talked about how Wynyard used her phone to get in touch with his friends.

He was known to tinker with cars – the charge he faces involves him allegedly tampering with a car used during the killing of Butler – always changing the appearance and parts, Whenuaroa said.