THE man previously acquitted of murdering missing Bathurst man Andrew Russell told detectives investigating the death of a homeless man in 2015 that he knew who had killed him.
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Tony Simmons gave a 28-minute interview to police in October 2015, naming Stephen Greenfield and Shayne Miller as the men responsible for the death of Reginald Mullaly.
Mr Greenfield and Mr Miller have been named as persons of interest in the case after Mr Mullaly, 69, was found fatally stabbed under the Denison Bridge on October 20, 2015. An inquest into his death is under way in Orange before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan.
On Tuesday, 32-year-old Simmons – who, in 2015, was found not guilty of the 2009 murder of Mr Russell - was one of four witnesses to give evidence on the second day of the hearing.
Mr Simmons said he had no recollection of making a statement to police, nor the allegations it contained. He suggested he was coming off drugs at the time.
On his way out of the court on Tuesday, Simmons gestured to Mr Greenfield as he sat in the gallery and said: “Sorry, cuz, I don’t know what the [expletive] they are on about.”
Counsel assisting the coroner, Sergeant Ben Hart questioned Mr Simmons and put it to him that he enjoyed some notoriety within Bathurst’s crime community, having been previously charged with murder.
Mr Simmons denied this, saying he “had nothing to do with that, got nothing to do with anything”.
Sgt Hart referred Simmons back to the 2015 statement.
In the statement Simmons told police Stephen Greenfield had asked him about the murder of Andrew Russell and “how he got away with it”.
But Simmons denied making the claim, saying “I don’t talk to Stephen” and adding that he didn’t “remember doing any of this.”
“You said, ‘yeah, he just wanted to know about the trial the ins and outs the way he was acting like he was trying to set me up’,” Sgt Hart said.
When asked if he had lied to police when making the statement, Simmons told the inquest: “I don’t remember saying any of it. I’m a drug addict.” He added he was “talking shit to police”.
Noting Simmons had facial injuries including forehead abrasions and a bruised eye, Sgt Hart asked Simmons if he been threatened in jail about giving evidence.
“Have you been assaulted in prison because of this matter?” he asked.
Simmons replied: “No [expletive] threatens me.”
The inquest continues at Orange Court House for two more days.
