A NSW horse farrier who denies murdering his lover has told a mediate he became bemused at studying his rock right alibi had disintegrated.
James “Jim” Scott Church mentioned he did no longer designate it when his buddy printed he had been away on the time he on the starting up put thought Church had reach around for dinner.
However Church testified sometime after the revelation, he remembered he had long gone to his buddy’s property but had sat out of doors in his car for hours unsuccessfully searching at for him to return dwelling.
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He had carried out the identical two days earlier, a time when the Crown alleges he became within the boom driving to faraway areas to come across a series to put off the physique of the woman he became planning to assassinate.
The 53-year-former became detestable-examined within the NSW Supreme Courtroom on Thursday at his mediate-on my own trial sooner than Justice Elizabeth Fullerton.
He is pleaded no longer guilty to murdering 23-year-former Leisl Smith, who disappeared on August 19, 2012.
Her physique has by no technique been chanced on.
The Crown alleges Church killed her after she told americans she became pregnant to him and because of the he wished to put his new relationship with Belinda Lees.
However the defence contends other eventualities may possibly well possibly no longer be ruled out at the side of that Ms Smith’s violent ex-boyfriend became concerned or that she disappeared on cause.
After being interviewed by police a preference of cases and then shown CCTV footage, Church admitted giving Ms Smith a retract at Tuggerah railway location on August 19, announcing he then dropped her off at Wyong.
Under questioning from prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe, Church denied manipulating Ms Smith’s phone after her disappearance to get out she became quiet alive.
He mentioned he did no longer retrieve voicemails and texts, at the side of from her disquieted father, sooner than sending messages to deflect attention from himself.
He also denied the usage of the phone to call his possess landline, but agreed he had told police he had received unanswered calls from her after her disappearance.
Requested why he hadn’t returned the calls, he mentioned: “I truly believed she became lacking”.
The mediate asked why he did no longer call the lacking woman he had described as “my very most sharp buddy”.
“I invent no longer absorb a definitive cause why,” he spoke back.
When the mediate asked if he had any cause, he spoke back: “I did no longer will ought to absorb any drama”.
He agreed he had lied to his lady friend Belinda Lees about his whereabouts on August 19.
“The cause you lied about the put you had been became when you told her the reality, it may possibly well absorb printed you had taken Ms Smith …. and intentionally killed her,” Ms Ratcliffe advised.
“No, it may possibly well absorb printed I became off to play horses with my mates,” he spoke back.
Ms Ratcliffe referred Church to texts he despatched Ms Lees over and over inquiring for her inspire after one in every of his police interviews.
He denied the cause became because of the he wished her to abet an alibi he had been along with her on August 19 and within the early hours of August 20.
“I truly absorb by no technique asked Belinda to supply one thing else or affirm one thing else that became no longer upright or lie for me,” he mentioned.
Earlier than Church told police he had been visiting his buddy for dinner on August 19, his dad and mom reported that they had been at their son’s situation that day.
Ms Ratcliffe referred Church to a covert tape recording when his mom told his sister: “Jim asked us ‘may possibly well possibly we are announcing we were available’ and we did”.
He denied asking his mom, announcing “that is my mom talking, no longer me”.
His detestable-examination will proceed on Friday.