Prisoner: Caroline Stuttle accused confessed

A prisoner told a jury today that the man who is accused of murdering British teenager Caroline Stuttle in Australia confessed to him in a cell.

Identified only as Prisoner One, the man who who shared a cell with accused killer Ian Previte said: “Ian told me he had done something horrific. He was the person who threw Caroline Stuttle off the bridge in Bundaberg.”

He was one of two prisoners who Previte met at the Capricornia Correction Centre at Rockhampton who gave evidence today.

Earlier, Previte’s best friend stopped on his way out of the Bundaberg supreme court room to comfort Caroline’s family after he had given evidence.

Adam Chandler, who was the key witness on the eighth day of the trial in the the Queensland town, shook her father Alan’s hand and patted brother Richard Stuttle on the shoulder after testifying.

Ian Douglas Previte, 32, denies murdering Caroline Ann Stuttle, 19, who was robbed and thrown off a bridge in Bundaberg on April 10, 2002.

The court heard Mr Chandler first met Previte at a Bundaberg hospital when he approached the accused for some prescription medication.

Mr Chandler described how both he and Previte were on the methadone programme.

“He was virtually my best friend,” Mr Chandler told the court.

Mr Chandler and his partner Merlina Ross both described how Previte came around to their house after Caroline Stuttle was murdered and said he had done “something very silly”.

Ms Ross said: “Me and Adam asked him what he had done. He wouldn’t say. Just it was silly and he wouldn’t do it again. And he didn’t want to talk about it.”

A juror was discharged due to illness, meaning the trial will continue with an 11-strong jury.