TIME FOR THE TRUTH
Tony Jones’ family has been waiting 35 years to know what happened to him
FOR the first time since Tony Jones went missing almost 35 years ago, his family will finally hear from two persons of interest in the cold case.
John Eastaughffe and Kevin Wright will give evidence to an inquest into Mr Jones’ disappearance over the next two days.
The pair were compelled to give evidence during hearings last year, but the inquest was adjourned until this week following an unsuccessful Supreme Court challenge. Tony Jones’ brother Mark Jones last night told the Bulletin it was time for the truth to come out.
“That’s what the wait has been for … they can put it off no longer, it’s time for everyone to tell their stories,” he said. “We just need the truth and we need to hear a story that adds up because, so far, not too many of the stories we have received add up.”
Mr Eastaughffe is due to give evidence throughout today, with Mr Wright to give evidence tomorrow.
FOR the first time since Tony Jones went missing almost 35 years ago, his family is set to finally hear from two persons of interest in the cold case.
John Eastaughffe and Kevin Wright will give evidence to an inquest into Mr Jones’ disappearance over the next two days.
The pair were compelled to give evidence during hearings last September, but the inquest was adjourned until this week following an unsuccessful Supreme Court challenge from Mr Wright.
Mr Eastaughffe was initially scheduled to give evidence yesterday but counsel representing the Jones family asked that they be given more time to prepare questions for the cross examination.
Barrister Wayne Pennell said the family had been waiting 35 years for answers and asked that Mr Eastaughffe give evidence tomorrow.
Coroner Terry Ryan denied the request, instead giving them yesterday afternoon to prepare, with Mr Eastaughffe to give evidence throughout today.
Mr Wright will give evidence tomorrow.
Outside the inquest, Tony Jones’ brother Mark Jones told the Bulletin it was time for the truth to come out.
“That’s what the wait has been for … they can put it off no longer. It’s time for everyone to tell their stories,” he said.
“We just need the truth and we need to hear a story that adds up because, so far, not too many of the stories we have received add up.
“Having come this far, we will do what we need to do to finish it off. My dad is still alive, he’s 93. There’s no guarantee we are going to give him any real answers before he goes but that’s what we’re here to attempt to do.”
Tony Jones, 20, disap- peared on or around November 3, 1982 after making a phone call that day from Townsville to family in Western Australia, indicating he would hitchhike to meet his brother in Mount Isa. During inquest hearings last year, two of Mr Wright’s former partners, Natalie Parker and Geraldine Lamont-Stanfield, said they were told about an alleged killing. Ms Parker told the inquest Mr Wright had once come home after drinking and spoken of a fight with “Johnny”, where another man was knocked out.
Ms Parker claimed Mr Wright told her the men put the man’s body in the back of a vehicle and drove to get help to dispose of him.
Mr Wright’s sister Jacqueline Berryman and niece Jessieanne Berryman gave evidence to the inquest yesterday. They both said they were shocked by the claims made about him.
“We’re shocked as a family, we’re completely shocked … this is my family that I grew up in. I’ve never, ever heard of anything like this,” Jacqueline Berryman said.
“We don’t talk about it, we don’t want to talk about it … this never happened.
“I told him ( Mr Wright) I’d been called ( to give evidence), he said ‘ you tell the truth, you have nothing to worry about’.”