Counsel for alleged Louise Bell murderer Dieter Pfennig attack mental health, credibility of key prosecution witness

THE man accused of the decades-old Louise Bell murder mystery has defended himself by calling a psychiatrist to question a key witness’ mental health and dub that man a liar.

Prosecutors claim Dieter Pfennig murdered both Louise Bell, left, and Michael Black, right. Neither child’s body has been recovered.

THE man accused of the decades-old Louise Bell murder mystery has defended himself by calling a psychiatrist to question a key witness’ mental health and dub that man a liar.

In the Supreme Court on Friday, counsel for Dieter Pfennig called on Dr Jules Begg to discredit the testimony of a central prosecution witness, whose identity is suppressed.

That witness gave evidence in October, claiming Pfennig confessed to the infamous murder while “stoned and sobbing” during a prison drug and alcohol binge on Christmas Day 2004.

The man, himself a former prisoner, clashed repeatedly with Pfennig’s barrister, Grant Algie QC, calling him “homeboy”, “ferret” and “clown” before telling him to “f--k off”.

On Friday, Dr Begg said he had diagnosed the man as suffering from “psychopathy and anti-social personality disorder”.

However, he conceded he had not met personally with the man and had instead based his diagnosis on a reading of his mental health history.

“People (with those conditions) can be unreliable, often untruthful, will manipulate people shamelessly and demonstrate a lack of remorse for their actions,” he said.

“They often lie for the sake of the intrinsic value of having the lie, of knowing something that the other person doesn’t know.

“They influence people so that they will react the way they want.”

Dieter Pfennig. Source: SA Police video.

Pfennig, 67, has pleaded not guilty to abducting Louise, 10, from her Hackham West home on January 4, 1983, and murdering her at some time before March 1 that year.

He is currently serving a life sentence for the 1989 murder of Michael Black, 10.

Neither child’s body has ever been recovered, and witnesses claim Pfennig has said they are buried together.

Prosecutors claim a sample taken from Louise’s torn, discarded pyjama top is a one in one billion match to Pfennig.

The trial started on September 20 last year and was delayed in March when Pfennig suffered a heart attack in his Yatala Labour Prison cell.

He subsequently recovered and the trial resumed.

On Friday, Dr Begg said the witness displayed “features of manipulation, lying, deceitfulness” which were “very much part” of the disorder he had diagnosed.

“It’s a matter of partially impressions, from reading through the whole (of his files),” he said.

In cross-examination, prosecutor Sandi McDonald SC asked whether such a mental health condition would render such a person completely unreliable.

Dr Begg conceded it would not, and agreed one would have to consider such a person’s testimony in the context of other supporting evidence.

“Just because a person has an anti-social personality disorder doesn’t mean they are going to lie, does it?” Ms McDonald asked.

“Someone with this disorder can do good work and behave in a socially responsible way, can’t they?”

Dr Begg said she was correct in both cases.

The trial, before Justice Michael David and in the absence of a jury, continues.

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