A Tasmanian man accused of murder gave conflicting versions of his interaction with alleged victim Jake Anderson-Brettner on the night of his death.
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Jack Harrison Vincent Sadler, 29, from Riverside near Launceston, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Anderson-Brettner about 7.30pm on August 15, 2018.
Mr Sadler told Katlyn Roney, Mr Anderson-Brettner's fiance, at 2am on August 16 that he had not seen him the previous evening and had gone out looking for him.
But Tasmania Police customer service representative Cheryl Deehan said when she spoke to Mr Sadler later on August 16 he said that Mr Anderson-Brettner had come to his house and brought McDonald's meals. CCTV vision of Mr Anderson-Brettner at McDonalds at 7.18pm was shown.
The Crown alleges that Mr Sadler shot Mr Anderson-Brettner three times before beheading and dismembering him. Mr Sadler and partner Gemma Clark disposed of his torso off the Tasman Highway and put other body parts wrapped in garbage bags in wheelie bins around Launceston.
Ms Roney, 29, said she went to Mr Sadler's Riverside home after Mr Anderson Brettner did not arrive home.
The couple had arranged to have dinner about 8pm.
"He said he was going to visit Jack and would be back at eight o'clock," Ms Roney said. When Mr Anderson Brettner didn't turn up she unsuccessfully tried calling him.
She woke up about 2am to find he was still not home.
"I tried to call but his phone was switched off so I drove up to Dion Crescent [Mr Sadler's house]," she said.
When she first arrived no one was home but floodlights in the carport were on. She waited for twenty minutes until Mr Sadler arrived.
"Did you say anything?," Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC asked.
"I said 'where's Jake'?" she said. She said Mr Sadler told her Mr Anderson-Brettner had not come to his house and that he had gone out looking for him.
"I asked him why he didn't come to my house and he said he drove past. I just said I didn't believe him," Ms Roney said.
"He [Sadler] said 'why' because me and Jake don't have any issues."
Ms Roney said Mr Sadler stood with his arms crossed moving his weight from foot to foot.
"He was talking really fast," she said.
She said Mr Sadler was wearing daggy track pants, top and old runners - in contrast to his usual "nice expensive tracksuit with a gold chain".
"He said he had been driving to St Leonards, Kings Meadows and Ravenswood," she said.
"I told him he was a liar."
She said rang a relation, Michael Jenkins, and told him Mr Anderson-Brettner had gone to Mr Sadler's house and had gone missing and that she was worried. She said they went driving on a loop towards Longford looking for Mr Anderson-Brettner.
"I wanted Mr Jenkins to go to Mr Sadler's house but he wouldn't," she said.
Ms Roney gave evidence that she and Mr Anderson-Brettner saw Mr Sadler and Ms Clark when they coincidentally visited the same restaurant on August 11.
"Did you say hello?" Mr Coates asked.
"As we walked in they did not look at us and Jake said it was a little bit awkward," Ms Roney said.
"He said they were not getting along but it would be all right because he was going to see him later in the week."
Under cross examination by defence counsel Greg Richardson, Ms Roney denied Mr Anderson-Brettner was involved in drugs.
He asked questions about Mr Anderson-Brettner's ownership of several vehicles, a $4000 puppy, two trips to Bali and parties in a rented penthouse.
Ms Roney said he was an apprentice butcher before beginning work at Comalco.
"Did you know of drug dealing?" he asked.
"No," Ms Roney replied.
"Never thought he was living like a king when he was an apprentice butcher?" he asked. "No," she said.
Mr Coates objected when Mr Richardson asked again about drug dealing.
"There is no evidence that Mr Anderson-Brettner was involved in drugs," Mr Coates said.
"That question contained an assertion that has not been made out," Justice Robert Pearce ruled.
Mr Richardson then asked Ms Roney if Mr Anderson-Brettner was involved in dealing drugs.
"Not not to my knowledge," she said.
In her evidence, Ms Deehan said she rang Mr Sadler and asked if he had seen Mr Anderson-Brettner the previous evening.
"He said yes he had. He said saw him at 7pm and he had come with takeaway for dinner," Ms Deehan said.
"I think it was Maccas."
"He said he stayed for about 20 minutes and then Jake was going and then coming back but did not know where he was going to."
Constable Veronique Smith said she discussed with Ms Deehan and Ms Roney the phone conversation with Mr Sadler.
"Ms Deehan told me that the accused told her that Mr Anderson-Brettner could not be a missing person because he had not been missing for 48 hours," she said. However, Ms Deehan said in court that she could not remember the statement.
Real estate agent Anna Langston said she had spoken to Mr Anderson-Brettner about a home loan at 7.25pm on August 15.
Christopher Fratangelo said that his friend Mr Sadler showed him a pistol and silencer when he visited his home.
He said it was similar to one photographed in the court exhibits. He texted Mr Sadler when he heard about the alleged murder but Mr Sadler said he knew nothing about it.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
