‘I couldn’t be killer’
Coroner hears denial
A MAN said he could not have killed missing person Jesse Kearney because he had not seen him for eight years before he disappeared.
Jason Hoffmann told the Southport Coroner’s Court on Friday that he last saw Mr Kearney in 2007 when they worked together. The Nerang man disappeared on February 19, 2015.
Counsel assisting the coroner David Funch said the possibility of Mr Kearney being murdered was “almost non-existent”.
“There is no rational basis to even reasonably suspect Jesse Kearney was murdered,” he said.
Mr Kearney was last seen at Tamborine Mountain knocking on doors and walking into a home, wearing only two hats. He was also seen running naked through a clearing.
It is believed Mr Kearney was high on the drug ice. A search, as a cyclone threatened the area, was unsuccessful.
During a three-day inquest into Mr Kearney’s disappearance, the coroner was told Mr Kearney had a $500 drug debt to Mr Hoffmann and threats were made to put Mr Kearney in a hole.
Mr Hoffmann on Friday denied all those allegations.
“I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what I have to do with it,” he said.
“I have never been involved in meth. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
Mr Hoffmann also denied growing cannabis and that he had an area to dump things.
“Why would I use Shelf Rd when there are so many other better spots …,” he said.
Mr Hoffmann told the court he had only used cannabis that he purchased with friends and had tried ice once or twice.
Barrister for Mr Kearney’s family Jade Marr said there were a number of inconsistencies with the evidence.
She said at times police had been rude and said they should have interviewed some witnesses sooner.
Coroner Jane Bentley will deliver her findings on July 15.