Outback murder accused 'never seen with gun'

An acquaintance of the man accused of murdering Peter Falconio in the Australian outback said today he had never seen his friend of 15 years with a gun.

Bradley John Murdoch, 45, is charged with the murder of the British backpacker from Huddersfield and the deprivation of liberty and assault of his girlfriend Joanne Lees, from Brighton.

Prosecutors allege Falconio was shot beside an outback highway near Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory after he and Lees were waved down by a stranger on the night of July 14, 2001.

Murdoch’s former business partner and flatmate James Hepi yesterday told the court Murdoch had two handguns.

But 48-year-old Peter Jamieson – who met Murdoch 15 years ago when they were both truck drivers – told Darwin Magistrates Court today he had never seen Murdoch with a gun.

Jamieson also told the court he saw Murdoch at his roadhouse in Fitzroy Crossing, east of Broome, on an unspecified night in mid-July 2001 – around the time of Falconio’s alleged murder.

He said he did not immediately recognise Murdoch when the mechanic pulled into his roadhouse in his white four-wheel drive as he headed to Broome.

Jamieson said Murdoch stayed at the roadhouse for about an hour – as he occasionally did when he was heading through to Broome – and filled his tank with 60 litres of diesel and ate a steak sandwich and coffee.

The court has previously heard from Hepi that Murdoch arrived back in Broome early on July 16, 2001.

Prosecutor Rex Wild QC earlier alleged that Murdoch was in the “right area at the right time” of Falconio’s murder and the timing of his arrival back in Broome was “not inconsistent” with his being near Barrow Creek at the time of the killing.

Jamieson was the final witness in the first half of the committal hearing, which wound up today after three weeks and 28 witnesses.

Prosecutor Anthony Elliott said he had expected to call another final witness, Brian Johnston, who the court has heard was a former flatmate of Murdoch’s from Broome known as “sheriff“.

However, Elliott said the witness could not be produced at this stage. “I’d rather not go into the details,” he said.

The committal hearing resumes for a further three weeks on August 9.