What truckie saw on day William disappeared
A truck driver who was in Kendall on the day William Tyrrell vanished did not see any car matching the one that police allege was used to dispose of the boy’s body, an inquest has been told.
A coronial inquest is examining what happened to the then three-year-old and a fresh police theory that he died in an accidental fall in Kendall on September 12, 2014.
The court has been told that police theorise the boy’s foster mother dumped his body in bushland on the corner of Cobb and Co Rd and Batar Creek Rd because she feared losing custody of another child who was in her care.
The mother has continuously denied the allegation.
THE TRUCK DRIVER
Truck driver Peter Bashkurt was the final witness to appear at the inquest into the three-year-old’s disappearance from Kendall on the Mid North Coast in September 2014.
On September 12, 2014, Mr Bashkurt was driving his truck to a Cobb and Co Rd property in Kendall to pick up an excavator.
He told the court on Wednesday that he stopped in the neighbouring town of Kew in the morning and saw a black Camry.
He again saw the same car and a blonde woman in Kendall a short while later.
He claimed the car “caught my attention” because she didn’t know what she was doing and when he later heard about William’s disappearance, he passed on the tip to Crime Stoppers and 2GB.
He then met up with the woman, Michelle, whose property he was collecting the excavator from and followed her to Cobb and Co Rd.
There he loaded the yellow excavator onto his truck and snaked his way out of town at low speed.
He turned left onto Batar Creek Rd and saw two cars as he made his way out of town.
He said he was driving at a maximum of 40km/h, telling the court he was “creeping out of the place”.
Mr Bashkurt said he saw a grey ute, which looked like it belonged to a tradie, approaching him.
He told police in a statement that he also saw a black ’80s BMW with a ladder on the roof.
Mr Bashkurt told the court on Wednesday that the BMW may have been dark coloured or “burgundy”.
Police have alleged that the foster mother used her mother’s grey Mazda 3, which does not match either of the vehicles seen by Mr Bashkurt as he made his way out of town, to dump William’s body.
Mr Bashkurt also said while he often used a dashcam, he didn’t have one equipped on that day.
“I wish I did, I didn’t have one on that vehicle that day,” he said.
THE POLICE THEORY
The long-running inquest before Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame ran for 18 months before it concluded in October 2020.
Ms Grahame’s findings were due to be handed down in June 2021; however, evidence has been reopened because of a fresh police theory that William died when he fell from a second storey balcony.
In late 2021, police also conducted a fresh forensic dig around Cobb and Co Rd and Batar Creek Rd, as well as at the foster grandmother’s house.
According to the theory, the foster mother put William’s body into her mother’s Mazda 3 and drove it 1km to where it was dumped at the crossroads.
The foster grandmother’s car was also seized by police.
And the court has been told there is no forensic evidence that points to William’s fate.
The foster mother has continuously denied all aspects of the police theory or having any knowledge of William’s whereabouts.
Ms Grahame told the court on Monday: “I pause to say there is actually no evidence that anyone has been seen placing a body here or anywhere else.”
The coroner made the comments as she explained her decision not to call evidence from a researcher on invasive species.
The court has been told Professor Jon Olley, who was on site for the fresh forensic dig around Kendall in November 2021, sent an email to a wildlife expert at the Department of Primary Industries asking if any bones could have been taken or disturbed by wild animals.
The expert, Dr Paul Meek, will not be called as a witness, the court was told.
Ms Grahame said she accepted there were wild dogs in the Kendall area.
‘HURLING ABUSE’
William’s foster mother was abused by a member of the public as she exited the inquest, the court has heard.
In court on Tuesday, counsel assisting Gerard Craddock SC said that as the foster mother was leaving the inquest on Monday afternoon, a member of the public began “hurling abuse at her”.
The court was told that it’s believed the person also used the female foster carer’s name.
The woman cannot be named or publicly identified due to a non-publication order and any breach could represent contempt of court.
Ms Grahame then offered a “stern warning” about similar behaviour.
“This sort of behaviour must not occur … I’m just disturbed by this sort of behaviour,” she said.