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1.30PM
A COUPLE who allowed Jessica Small to live with them for a brief period prior to her abduction were among the first witnesses to give evidence on Monday at an inquest into the Bathurst teenager's presumed murder.
The inquest into Jessica Small's death resumed on Monday before Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund.
Back in 1997 Belinda and Brendan Forsman rented a unit in Piesley Street in Orange, and Jessica stayed with them for "less then a week".
Belinda Forsman yesterday told the inquest she and her [now] husband Brendan were renting a unit and a girl called Ricky Vincent was staying in their spare bedroom.
Mrs Forsman said one day Ricki Vincent brought Jessica home with her and Jessica stayed in the unit for a short time.
Mrs Forsman said she didn't have a lot to do with Jessica, because she didn't know her very well.
She said Jessica stayed with them for only a short time because of an incident that occurred in the unit involving Jessica.
She said one night she and Brendan returned home and found their unit had been broken into.
She said there were a number of indigenous men inside the unit and Jessica was in the bedroom with some more indigenous men.
She told the inquest her Brendan said to Jessica to pack her stuff and leave, and that she couldn't stay here anymore.
Mrs Forsman said not long after, perhaps two months, although she couldn't be sure of the time frame, she heard on the news Jessica had disappeared.
The inquest continues this afternoon.
EARLIER
MORE than 30 witnesses are expected to give evidence this week at the inquest into missing teenager Jessica Small’s presumed murder.
Jessica was last seen alive in October 1997 after she and her best friend, Vanessa Conlan, accepted a lift in William Street from a man they did not know.
The pair had been at a local amusement centre and, while they had enough money for a taxi, they got into the man’s white Commodore after he offered them a lift.
However, just minutes later, the girls faced the fight of their lives. As the man drove along Hereford Street he stopped the car and attacked the girls. Vanessa made it out and ran to a nearby house for help. She thought Jessica was behind her. But by the time she reached the house to raise the alarm, the car was gone and so was Jessica.
The inquest into Jessica’s abduction and presumed murder began in August last year before Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund, and began with a stunning admission by Counsel for the NSW Police Force, Michael Spartalis, that the original investigation into Jessica’s disappearance was “somewhat lacking”.
Mr Spartalis told the inquest police failed to follow up witnesses to the abduction, adding the significance of what they had to say would never be known.
The inquest continued for one week, with key witness Vanessa Conlan and Jessica’s mum, Ricki Small, among those to give evidence.
Another witness, Rob Fitzpatrick, who had critical information relating to the case, told the inquest when he spoke to police the day after Jessica’s abduction he got the impression they didn’t want to take his statement.
As the inquest resumes at Bathurst Court House today, it is expected up to 30 people will be called to give evidence.
The inquest has been set down for one week, until Friday, May 23, before adjourning for one week, and restarting again at Bathurst Court House on Monday, June 2, 2014.