Witness could shed no light on mystery
THE man at the centre of evidence given at this week’s inquest into the disappearance of Tony Jones has denied any involvement in the almost 35year- old mystery.
Kevin Wright was compelled to give evidence after his failed application to avoid the proceedings in the Supreme Court last year.
In what was a short sitting yesterday morning, Mr Wright continually denied having any conversations in which he spoke of killing a man or disposing of a man’s body.
Counsel assisting the Coroner Stephanie Williams read the evidence given by former partners Natalie Parker and Geraldine Lamont- Stanfield and former friend Melissa Bell, in which they had told previous hearings Mr Wright had been involved in killing someone or disposing of a body.
He denied all of the accusations, saying he had never told anyone those things and claimed his former partners had concocted the stories after bitter breakups.
“Between her ( Ms Bell) and Natalie, at the end of the day, I’ve always said it, I reckon Natalie has relayed this story to Melissa and somehow, them being the best of mates, yeah, Natalie got her back up,” Mr Wright said.
“I’m not saying conspiring, but I’m saying, in my opinion I think Natalie has relayed this story ( about the killing of a person) that you’ve just put to me that I was supposed to make them accusations to Natalie, that she has relayed this to Mel Bell.
“I know that my relationships, with two women, not with Melissa Bell, but with Natalie Parker and Gerrie Lamont- Stanfield, at the end of the day it was nowhere near a nice breakup in either, and it was very savage.”
Mr Wright told the inquest he had fallen out with John Eastaughffe, the other person of interest in the disappearance of Jones, over a girl, not over an incident on his back patio where Ms Lamont- Stanfield asked Mr Eastaughffe if he had killed someone or had an incident at work.
He was also shown pictures of Jones, with and without a beard, and told the inquest he had never seen the man or the photos before.
Outside of the inquest, Jones’s brother Mark said the family felt they were close to having all the information available to finish the inquest.
Brother Brian Jones said they would await the Coroner’s ruling but they had their opinion about what happened.
“We’ve heard a lot of the testimony of witnesses last year and here as well, so now you weigh up who’s telling the truth, and after today’s pathetic effort we have a good idea who’s telling the truth and who’s telling the lies,” Mr Jones said.
“We have our opinion on that and now it will be up to the Coroner to make his ruling.”