Missing man was having affair with landowner's wife, Hobart court hears
A man who disappeared from the Tasman Peninsula more than 30 years ago was having an affair with the woman who owned the property he was staying on, a Hobart inquest has heard.
Judah Zachariah Rueben Wolfe Mattathyahu was last heard from in November 1983.
An inquest into his disappearance began after police uncovered new information regarding a person of interest.
The court heard Mr Mattathyahu was living in a hut on a property at Slopen Main owned by John Edward Hull and Anne Roslyn Hull, each a person of interest to police.
Senior Sergeant Fiona Howard told the inquest Mr Hull had motive to be involved in Mr Mattathyahu's disappearance because Mr Mattathyahu was having an affair with his wife.
Anne Hull, 70, told the inquest she and Mr Mattathyahu, who she knew as Reuben, had had a sexual relationship which ended long before his disappearance.
She said her husband and children did not know about the affair at the time.
Mrs Hull broke down in tears while giving evidence about police questioning her.
Mattathyahu 'pretty agitated' before he went missing
Mr Mattathyahu, who led a nomadic life and had about 20 aliases, told people he was a Nazi hunter, had fought in Israel and been in various special forces.
The court heard just before his disappearance Mr Mattathyahu was "very agitated" and wanted to leave the property.
Howard Watson told the court Mr Mattathyahu, who he had met through his cousin Robert Watson, had called him in an anxious state.
He said in November 1983 he received a phone call from Mr Mattathyahu asking if he could go and find Robbie so Robbie could come and get him.
"He was pretty agitated," Mr Watson said.
"He just wanted to get out of there quickly."
Mr Watson said he had passed the information onto his cousin, who went to collect Mr Mattathyahu but did not find him there.
Son denies making up stories to protect parents
Alan Hull, the couple's son, told the court Mr Mattathyahu was involved in an "altercation" at the Slopen Main property close to the time of his disappearance.
He said he saw Mr Mattathyahu involved in an altercation that involved "pretty savage blows" with two unidentified men.
He also told the court he believed he saw Mr Mattathyahu in a friend's car on what could have been the night of the disappearance.
Alan Hull denied it was possible he was making up the stories to protect his family members.
