Girlfriend of missing backpacker admits affair

THE girlfriend of missing British backpacker Peter Falconio has left Australia after telling the hearing of the man accused of murdering her boyfriend that she had a sexual relationship with a man in Sydney while she was living with Mr Falconio.

British tourist Joanne Lees had a sexual relationship with another man while living with Peter Falconio and was emailing him after her long-time boyfriend was allegedly murdered, a court was told yesterday.

Ms Lees had also suggested after Mr Falconio's disappearance that she meet up in Berlin with the man, known as Nick.

The admission by 30-year-old Ms Lees that she had an affair with the other man while living with Mr Falconio in Sydney in 2001 came as she wound up her evidence to a committal hearing in Darwin.

Facing the preliminary hearing is Bradley John Murdoch, aged 45, who is charged with the murder of Mr Falconio, from Huddersfield, and the unlawful assault and deprivation of liberty of Ms Lees, from Brighton, in the Northern Territory on July 14, 2001.

Asked if she had had a sexual relationship with another man, she paused before replying: "I'm going to answer yes, but I wouldn't class it as an affair or a relationship."

Ms Lees said she and Mr Falconio had changed their travel plans in Alice Springs in the days before he disappeared while on a trip around Australia. When the couple finished their road trip in Brisbane, Ms Lees was to travel to Sydney while Mr Falconio went to Papua New Guinea for a week. The couple then planned to meet up again in Brisbane and travel to New Zealand together.

"You weren't going to see Nick (in Sydney), that wasn't part of the plan?" defence lawyer Grant Algie asked. "He wasn't even in Australia (at that time)," Ms Lees replied.

Mr Algie asked Ms Lees if she was corresponding with Nick by email after July 14, 2001 the day Falconio disappeared.

"I was," she answered.

"In the course of that correspondence, were you making arrangements to meet up with Nick in Berlin on the way home?" Mr Algie asked.

"No, not on the way home," Ms Lees said.

On further questioning, Ms Lees said she had made a suggestion to meet up with Nick in Berlin "maybe, at a later date".

Ms Lees also faced a grilling from the defence over her relationship with the media.