The judge in the murder trial of Robert William Pickton urged jurors to consider the truthfulness of the accused's words — words that the Crown alleges are his confession in the deaths of six Vancouver women.

Robert William Pickton is on trial for the deaths of six women who went missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
(CBC)

Justice James Williams asked the jury at the B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on Wednesday to replay the tapes of both the formal statement Pickton gave to police following his arrest in February 2002 and the conversation he had with an undercover officer in his cell.

"If you conclude that his words in either or both of the statements are admissions of responsibility for the murders of women, and you conclude that he was speaking truthfully, you can use both statements in determining whether the Crown has proven its case against Mr. Pickton," Williams told the jury.

Pickton, a Port Coquitlam pig farmer, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe, Marnie Frey and Georgina Papin. He'll face another 20 murder charges at a later date.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The defence had argued Pickton's statements were simply reflective of the pig farmer parroting back information given to him by police, and that his intelligence level was low enough that he wouldn't have understood the possible significance of his words.

Though a host of other factors swirl around the statements, including fake props in the interview room and lies told by the police, none of those are relevant unless they affect either the truth or meaning of Pickton's words, Williams said during his second day of instructions to the jury, which consists of seven men and five women.

The judge initially predicted his charge to jurors would last for three days, but said he'll need another half day, meaning it will be midday Friday before the jurors will begin deliberations.

The judge's charge has so far consisted of information about the legal principles of the case and evidence relating to the remains of the dead women, the statements Pickton has given to the police and the testimony of witnesses.

Williams will continue his instructions Thursday.

With files from the Canadian Press