Petero Baleinapuka, 58, took the stand to deny the allegation he deliberately stabbed his partner Angela O'Donnell at least 14 times during the evening of December 31.

He pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder during his Supreme Court trial in Wollongong.

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Yesterday, jurors listened to the police interview detectives conducted with Baleinapuka on New Year's Day after he was pulled over in his car by police due to his erratic driving.

Only minutes before his arrest, Baleinapuka allegedly stabbed Ms O'Donnell with knives, creating a bloody scene throughout the apartment, before he tended to his own wounds.

During the police interview, Balienapuka said "I stab her" (sic).

He claimed the couple had gone to Ms O'Donnell's aunt's house, then to Corrimal shops and a liquor store before returning home to watch television and sleep during the day.

He told detectives in the afternoon he and Ms O'Donnell had a drink before they went to Sandon Point Surf Club for another drink but returned home in an Uber after they were unable to get into a ticketed event at the Beaches Hotel in Thirroul.

Baleinapuka said Ms O'Donnell was upset they could not celebrate New Year's Eve and they started arguing before she threw a Christmas ornament at him, which hit his forehead. He said he left to go to a party with friends in Coniston.

When he returned 20 minutes later after forgetting his lighter, Baleinapuka said he saw a man leaving the apartment. He said the couple got into an argument about Ms O'Donnell's alleged infidelity with the man.

Baleinapuka told detectives he grabbed a kitchen knife from a block and stabbed Ms O'Donnell three times while she stood up and once or twice in the chest after she fell to the ground. He said he put bandages on his fingers and left in the car.

When Detective Senior Constable Dylan Liackman asked what Baleinapuka expected would happen to Ms O'Donnell, he said "she going to die".

Baleinapuka claimed the "anger took over" and he only thought about leaving to go to meet up with friends rather than calling an ambulance, despite seeing her lose blood.

However, when he gave evidence on Friday he said he made up the "story" about seeing a man leave the apartment.

"Did you see a man leaving the house?" defence barrister Phillip Young asked. "No," Baleinapuka said.

He also said he was lying to the detectives when he said Ms O'Donnell threw a Christmas ornament at his head and retracted his claim she had slapped him during the argument.

In his evidence in chief, Mr Young asked Baleinapuka if it was true he was responsible for stabbing Ms O'Donnell.

"No", he replied.

"Why did you tell police that?" Mr Young asked.

"I don't know," he said.

Baleinapuka told jurors he was outside on the verandah drinking and smoking and when he came back inside he saw Ms O'Donnell "lying there full of blood" in the hallway on her side. He told the jury he did not hear any noise, voices or Ms O'Donnell scream.

Baleinapuka explained he tried to lift Ms O'Donnell's head and cried before he dragged her body over to the lounge room, where she was later found by police.

He claimed he then tried to tidy the messy apartment but then stopped because he thought, "what is the point?"

Baleinapuka also claimed he was in "utter shock" and left the apartment via the verandah after first tending to Ms O'Donnell's body.

He said he cut his fingers on the fence that he jumped over but he returned straight away after he thought about her.

The Crown alleges Baleinapuka cut his finger when the handle of the knife slipped and the blade cut his hand while he stabbed Ms O'Donnell.

The trial continues.

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