The remainder of the ERISP [electronically recorded interview of a suspected person] interview between Andrew McBride and homicide police, which was recorded in May 2012, was played to an inquest into the missing teenager’s presumed murder yesterday. 

The inquest is being held before deputy state coroner Sharon Freund, and will resume in Bathurst Court House on Monday, June 2.

During the interview, police put it to Mr McBride that he deliberately kept information from them when he spoke to officers a week before the interview.

In the interview Detective Sergeant Peter Smith said to Mr McBride that he originally told them he had never been to Bathurst, but police had obtained banking records which placed him in the city a number of times in 1997.

Mr McBride said “for the life of him” he couldn’t recall going to Bathurst, but then remembered he may have been there “on two or three occasions” to front Bathurst Local Court on charges relating to an assault of a young man, and for passing dud cheques.

When Mr McBride said to police “please don’t think I’m being untruthful” Detective Smith said to him: “Did you think when we spoke to you on Monday we’d knock on your door and then go away if you told us anything you wanted?”

Detective Smith said a witness had come forward saying an adult male, whose description matched Mr McBride’s back in 1997, was asking about Jessica Small just an hour-and-a-half before she was picked up and never seen again. 

But Mr McBride denied knowing anything about the abduction.

Detective Sergeant Smith then said: “The man who asked about Jessica worked at the timber mill.  You worked at the timber mill.

“You were in a sexual relationship with a girl the same age [as Jessica] and then you leave your accommodation and don’t even bother handing in the key.”

But Mr McBride told the interviewing officers he denied leaving Oberon on the spur of the moment.

In the interview Mr McBride admitted to taking his girlfriend and a 15-year-old girl on a holiday because he thought the two of them might “get it together”.

But Mr McBride told officers he knew he “was out of order” and his behaviour “was so far wrong” but denied deliberately withholding information from police.

He also said if police had not known about his sexual relationship with a teenager he would not have admitted it because he was “disgusted by his behaviour”.

“I have no doubt about that,” Detective Smith said. “ I would be [disgusted] too.”

Detective Smith said police had been investigating the case for five years and Mr McBride was the most likely person of interest.  

“We’re going to find that car and we’re going to find out who did this,” he said.

The inquest resumes on June 2.