Defence lawyer launches attack on murdered backpacker’s girlfriend

DEFENCE lawyers in the Australian Outback hearing into the death of British tourist Peter Falconio yesterday attacked the credibility of his girlfriend Joanne Lees.

She faced claims she was having another, perhaps secret, relationship when her boyfriend disappeared three years ago.

Ms Lees had returned to the witness stand in Darwin to resume evidence in the committal hearing for Bradley John Murdoch, 45, the man accused of Mr Falconio’s murder.

Ms Lees, from Brighton, was again asked to recount the events of the night in July 2001 when Falconio, her boyfriend of six years, disappeared beside a remote Northern Territory road. Cross-examined for 90 minutes by Murdoch’s lawyer Grant Algie, Ms Lees answered most questions with one word.

Mr Algie asked Lees several times about her relationship with the missing 28-year-old backpacker.

He later accused her of having a secret e-mail account while touring Australia and of writing to someone who had the fake name “Steph”.

Lees denied the e-mail account was secret but then admitted Steph was a false name for a man named Nick.

“Who is Nick?” Mr Algie asked.

“A friend,” she replied.

“A friend from Sydney with whom you had a relationship?” he asked.

“No,” Ms Lees replied.

This line of questioning was halted after prosecutor Rex Wild QC successfully objected, questioning its relevance.

“The relationship as between this witness and Falconio is obviously relevant in this case,” Mr Algie said. “It may be highly relevant at the end of the day as to the credibility of this witness.”