Falconio: Girlfriend had second boyfriend in Australia

The girlfriend of Peter Falconio believed murdered three years ago on an Australian Outback highway admitted today she had a second lover while she was living with the missing man.

Australian mechanic Bradley John Murdoch is accused of murdering Mr Falconio from Huddersfield, on July 14, 2001, and abducting and assaulting his girlfriend Joanne Lees.

The court hearing in Darwin is to establish if evidence against him is strong enough to send to a jury trial.

Asked by Murdoch’s defence lawyer Grant Algie if she had had a sexual relationship with another man while living with Mr Falconio in Sydney, Ms Lees replied: “I’m going to answer yes, but I wouldn't class it as an affair or a relationship.”

Mr Algie claimed yesterday that evidence of a second relationship would damage the credibility of Ms Lees, from Brighton, who is the prosecution’s star witness in the case.

Yesterday she nervously described the man who flagged down the camper van she and Mr Falconio were travelling in, apparently shot her boyfirend and then tied her up. She managed to escape hours later and raise the alarm.

After Mr Falconio’s disappearance, police questioned Ms Lees about a second e-mail account she had and her relationship with a man identified only as Nick, the Darwin court heard today.

Mr Algie asked Ms Lees if she was planning to meet up with Nick in Berlin on the way home from Australia.

She replied: “I made a suggestion.”

Under cross-examination Ms Lees also revealed she had been paid £50,000 (€75,000) for an exclusive interview with a British television channel about her ordeal.

Prosecutor Rex Wild objected to the questioning, but Mr Algie said it was relevant “because motive to perpetuate this story is relevant”.

But Ms Lees said she no longer had an exclusive relationship with Granada Television, and said she had given no interviews with the media since Murdoch’s arrest.

“I get numerous offers from various media organisations, but no,” she said, saying she had not given any more interviews.

Ms Lees finished her testimony late this morning and was expected to fly out of Australia almost immediately.

The pretrial hearing, scheduled to last six weeks, was continuing.