Disappearance probed

THE Cairns Coroner’s Court has pored over different versions of the last-known movements of a young Kowanyama mother who went missing from the Archer River eight years ago.

Allison Neridine Bernard, 23 and mother to two children, was last seen at the Archer River Quarry on the night of February 10, 2013.

No trace of her has ever been found.

The inquest had previously heard evidence that Archer River Quarry caretaker Thomas Byrnes, after drinking with Ms Bernard at the Exchange Hotel in Coen, intended to take her to the quarry on the night of February 10 to “look after her”.

Giving evidence in court on Wednesday on the second day of the inquest, Archer River Roadhouse co-owner Elsie Allan recounted how in a phone call she made to Mr Byrnes on February 13, he described how Ms Bernard had “wet herself” in the car and that he had put her clothes in the washing machine and washed them.

“Yeah, he said that she had a towel wrapped around her and she freaked out on him and ran out,” Ms Allan said, referencing her 2013 witness statement to police.

The court also heard from Department of Agriculture and Fisheries employee and Coen SES controller Scott Templeton, who said he had pulled up at the Archer River Roadhouse at the same time as Mr Byrnes did on the morning after Ms Bernard went missing.

Mr Templeton told the court Mr Byrnes seemed “a bit upset” and “probably still a bit under the weather”, and said Mr Byrnes had told him how Ms Bernard had gone missing.

Mr Templeton urged him to report her missing if she didn’t turn up.

Mr Templeton was asked about his statement to police on February 14 when he recounted how Mr Byrnes had said he had taken Ms Bernard up to the quarry, they’d had a drinking session, and he fell asleep.

“Tom said he passed out. When he’s woken up, she wasn’t there,” Mr Templeton said.

No one has ever been charged over Ms Bernard’s disappearance.

The inquest resumes on Thursday.