Man whose name linked to Annette Mason murder says he’s a victim

A suspect in the 1989 murder of a Toowoomba teenager has launched a scathing attack on witnesses who have given evidence against him, calling them “a bunch of imbeciles” trying to obtain a cash reward.

Michael Laine leaves the Coroner's Court in Brisbane on Tuesday after giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Annette Mason. Picture: AAP

A SUSPECT in the 1989 murder of Annette Mason, 15, has launched a scathing attack on witnesses who have given evidence against him, calling them “a bunch of imbeciles” trying to obtain a cash reward.

Michael Laine, 53, yesterday told an inquest he had spent 30 years being branded a suspect in the case, despite having “nothing to hide”.

“I know these people (Annette’s family) have been waiting 30 years, but I’ve copped 30 years of utter bulls--t and torment from the coppers going around to everybody’s place and showing photos of Annette and bringing up my name,” he said.

Annette Mason.

“They’re the ones who f--ked this investigation by having tunnel vision.”

Several witnesses have given evidence linking Laine to Annette on the night she died.

One woman said she was later threatened by him to “keep her mouth shut” and another said she saw blood on a shoe she believed belonged to Laine.

Laine said the claims were “ludicrous” and “ridiculous”.

“You’re dealing with a whole bunch of imbeciles. You’ve had every man and his dog come in here trying to get the $250,000 (police reward),” he said.

“You sit in my shoes for the last 30 years and see how you go copping this s--t.”

Earlier, Nathan Beningfield gave evidence that, nine years after Annette’s murder, he was drinking with Laine who boasted “that he killed someone and got away with it”.

Mr Beningfield, who was 16 at the time, said Laine told him he had “bashed a girl with a piece of wood from a fence”.

“Everyone was a bit scared of Mick,” he said.

“At the time I was young, but to me he was scary. I didn’t have any reason to believe he wasn’t serious about what he was saying.”

Mr Beningfield said a friend told him the claims were “deadly serious”.

“He was kind of trying to get across that he was dangerous and that he could kill someone and get away with it,” he said.

Laine returns to the witness stand on Wednesday.